How did the word gay go from meaning lighthearted to homosexual? Also, why are elementary schools sometimes called grammar schools? Plus, imeldific, gone pecan, random Scrabble words, and the difference between borrow and lend. And the etiquette of...
If someone’s gone pecan, they’re doomed, defeated, and down on their luck. This idiom, common in New Orleans, probably caught on because of its rhyme. This is part of a complete episode.
You say puh-KAHN, I say PEE-can. Just how do you pronounce the name of the nut called a pecan? Turns out, there are several correct pronunciations. This is part of a complete episode.
What do pigs have to do with piggyback rides? We get a lesson from a listener in the fine art of speaking gibberish. What’s the correct way to pronounce pecan? The French have the Academie Française, but what authority do we have for the...
scatter hoarding n.— «Every year, the squirrels plant a forest of pecan trees for me. They observe a practice called “scatter hoarding.” That means they harvest nuts and such and bury them all over the place. That way, no single raid by a...
gone pecan n.— «The Chief Assistant keeps a scoreboard in his office on Wins and Losses. One too many Losses and you’re a “gone pecan.”» —by Bob E. Lee Writ Denied Jan. 9, 2001. (source: Double-Tongued...
