There’s a long tradition in contra dancing of a particular move called a gypsy. Many people now consider the term gypsy offensive, however, because of the history of discrimination against people of Romani descent, long referred to as gypsies...
“Home again, home again, jiggity-jig!” A listener wonders about the origin of this phrase her Mother often used. Grant and Martha trace it back to another mother: Mother Goose. The full line goes, “To market, to market, to buy a...
Howdy! In this week’s episode of “A Way with Words,” we have a whole culch pile of conversation about Yankee dimes, hanging crepe, educational rubrics, and whether the language you speak influences how you think. Here ’tis:...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski starts a whole lotta shakin’ with his puzzle about dances with rhyming names. How about the dance that involves many missteps while dancing to the music of Johann Strauss? This is part of a complete episode.
travesty dancer n.— «Forget about those famous old Russian ballerinas of yesteryear: you haven’t really seen a dying swan until you’ve seen the Trocks, as this company of male travesty dancers is affectionately known.» —“Dance...
This week’s “Slang This!” contestant tries to decipher the slang phrases dance at two weddings and put the big pot in the little pot. She also shares her own favorite slang terms for crumb crusher, rug rat and ankle biter. By the...