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 everyone on the planet spoke a single language, wouldn’t that make life a whole lot easier? For that matter, is a common world language even possible? Maybe for a minute or so—until new words and phrases start springing up. Also, did you...
To secrete means “to produce and discharge a fluid,” a back-formation from secretion. But a similarly spelled verb means “to deposit in a hiding place.” For both verbs, the pronunciation of the past tense, secreted, requires...
A hawk in its prime state of fitness is known as a yarak, a word that may derive from a Persian word meaning “strength, ability.” This is part of a complete episode.
A couple is not necessarily the same as a pair; it can certainly mean more than two, and it’s always dependent on context. This is part of a complete episode.
Oxford University doesn’t really have a mascot, so a listener asks on our Facebook page: Why not call them the Oxford Commas? This is part of a complete episode.
