Mexican cuisine Archives – A Way with Words

The Words “Plum” and “Prune” Share the Same Etymological Roots

Posted by Grant Barrett on May 1, 2021 · Add Comment

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Yak Shaving (episode #1548)

Posted by Grant Barrett on June 8, 2020 · 1 Comment

There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished in Shakespeare’s writing. Plus, why do we refer to an unpredictable person as a loose [...]
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Mariachi Tacos

Posted by Grant Barrett on June 6, 2020 · Add Comment

Caitlin calls from Laredo, Texas, to ask about the slang term for breakfast tacos popular there. Why are they called mariachis? In American Tacos: A History and Guide, José Ralat relates a story that links the name to a restaurant that prepared tacos spicy enough to make a person let loose with a grito typical [...]
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Taco de Ojo

Posted by Grant Barrett on July 21, 2018 · Add Comment

In Spanish, taco de ojo literally means “taco of the eye,” but in Mexican slang, it’s the equivalent of English eye candy, or someone who’s very nice to look at. This is part of a complete episode.
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What am I, Chopped Liver?

Posted by Grant Barrett on June 9, 2018 · Add Comment

A woman in Reno, Nevada, wonders about the expression, “What am I, chopped liver?” Chopped liver is a traditional Jewish dish that’s always a side item, never the main course. Speaking of traditional Jewish foods, the term schmaltzy, meaning overly sentimental, derives from the Yiddish term shmaltz, which means chicken or goose fat. This is [...]
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Spanish Idioms

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 7, 2018 · Add Comment

In English, if someone’s terrified, we might say they are shaking like a leaf. In Spanish, the phrase is temblar como un flan, or to tremble like a flan, the dessert dish. The Spanish phrase darle la vuelta a la tortilla literally means to flip the tortilla, but metaphorically it means to turn the tide, [...]
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