If you’re dressed to kill, you’re looking sharp. But does the expression have to do with medieval chivalry or military armor of any kind? Nope. The earliest cases pop up in text in the 1800s, based on the trend of adding the words to...
If you’re in a state of confusion, you might say I don’t know if I’m Arthur or Martha. It’s a slang phrase for “I’m confused” that you might hear in Australia or New Zealand, according to the Collins English...
Naomi, a Missoula, Montana, mom who’s writing a magazine essay, wants to know if due diligence is the appropriate term to denote the daily, household chores that her son’s new stepdad has taken on. The verdict: it’s a legal term...
Our Puzzle Master John Chaneski has a game inspired by the recent election season. From each clue, determine the word that begins with either D-E-M or R-E-P. For example, what’s the term for a part of a song that’s performed all over...
Do you keep copypasta on your computer? It’s that bit of tasty text you keep ready to paste in any relevant email or Facebook post. Grant has a great one for language lovers, based on eggcorns, those words or phrases that get switched to...
Leah from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, wants to know the origin of the name of the Delmarva Peninsula. It’s a portmanteau name, made of parts of the names of the three states that meet there: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The Edward H. Nabb...