Do you say something happened on accident or by accident? Is text-messaging destroying our kids’ writing ability? Where do horseradish, zarf, and ignoramus come from?
In a few parts of the country, such as eastern Wisconsin, the more common term for “water fountain” is bubbler. A man who heard the term frequently in Rhode Island wonders: How did bubbler make it all the way over to Rhode Island, but...
Greetings, wanderers, and welcome home. This past weekend on A Way with Words we wrestled with "commentate," "tie me over" vs. "tide me over," long words, and "biweekly" vs. "semiweekly." We also...
whale n.— «A whale is a mound of snow allowed to settle on a trail to be moved where it’s needed later.» —“On the slopes—Ski areas have a whale of a time despite record warmth” by Mike Szostak Providence...
Starvation Corner n.— «What Cafeteria III table serves as both a Starvation Corner and a Lonely Hearts Club during third lunch?» —“Teen Scene” by Susanne Shaw, Douglas Johnson Newport Mercury and Weekly...
beat bag n.— «In 2000 he pleaded no contest in Superior Court to a charge of creating and selling a counterfeit substance, which in street parlance is a “beat bag.” The idea of a beat bag is to sell someone an innocuous substance by...