Milwaukee Archives – A Way with Words

Make A Train Take A Dirt Road

Posted by Grant Barrett on May 31, 2014 · 1 Comment

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Milwaukee Goiter

Posted by grantbarrett on November 2, 2013 · Add Comment

Among Sconnies, or Wisconsinites, a synonym for beer belly is Milwaukee goiter. This is part of a complete episode.
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Where Do You Buy Alcohol?

Posted by Grant Barrett on November 10, 2012 · Add Comment

What do you call the place you purchase adult beverages? Is it a liquor store or a package store? Package store is common in the Northeast, while folks in Milwaukee know it as the beer depot, and Pennsylvanians might call it the ABC store. Tell us your preferred term! This is part of a complete [...]
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Discombobulated

Posted by grantbarrett on September 27, 2008 · Add Comment

If you’ve flown from Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport recently, you may have noticed an odd but official-looking sign that reads: “RECOMBOBULATION AREA.” A caller from Madison was discombobulated to see it, then started wondering about the roots of such words. This is part of a complete episode.
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banana ball

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 22, 2007 · Add Comment

banana ball n.— «Golfers who hit “banana balls”—the term for a weak, ballooning, left-to-right ball flight (for a right-handed player)—found that they were able to hit the ball much straighter with Burns’ club.» —“Providing cure for ailing shots” by Gary D’Amato Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Apr. 21, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
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tail cost

Posted by Grant Barrett on February 8, 2007 · Add Comment

tail cost n.— «That was not counting so-called tail costs, such as caring for veterans and replacing lost equipment, which the Iraq Study Group said “will run into the hundreds of billions of dollars.”» —“The Iraq war has cost each of us $1,333—so far” by Bill Glauber Journal-Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Feb. 6, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
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