Quiz Guy Greg Pliska has a game called “Centricity”, emphasis on the “city.” For example, “Mickey ate all the fruit, leaving Minneapolis.” And as George H.W. Bush said to George W. Bush, “You can be...
A woman from Dallas wants to know about a verbal habit she grew up with in her Cajun French speaking Louisiana family. It’s use of repetition for emphasis, as in, “it’s hot, but it’s not hot hot.” Grant explains how reduplications...
Proverbs pack great truths into a few well-chosen words, no matter which language you speak. Check out this one from Belize: “Don’t call the alligator a big-mouth till you have crossed the river.” And this truism from Zanzibar:...
bourbon belt n.— «In the United States, Campari will put more emphasis on expanding the brand outside of the “bourbon belt,” the area of the South and Midwest where most bourbon is sold.» —“Pernod Sells Wild Turkey Brand to Gruppo...
greentailing n.— «In their newest book on retailing, authors Stern and Ander examine the revolutions occurring in the retail marketplace, with particular emphasis on the influential green trend in retailing, or Greentailing...
You’ve seen people indicate emphasis by putting a period after each of several words, and capitalizing the first letter of each word. A Michigan listener wonders how this stylistic trick arose. Her question was prompted by this description of...