A listener in Newport News, Virginia, says that sometimes, just for fun, he answers the phone with a homophonous I’m here to hear. You have my ear! This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Homophonous Phone Greeting: I’m Here to...
A couple three refers vaguely to a small number of things, usually two or three, or maybe a few more. Jennifer in Tucson, Arizona, says her father often used the phrase, although it left her guessing when he’d ask for a couple three nails. The...
Default as a noun and default as a verb are the same word, with a familiar English stress shift: nouns often take first-syllable stress, while verbs often take second-syllable stress, as with the different pronunciations of record. A New York City...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Bookshop|Amazon) had an earlier title: A Week with Willie the Worm. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Title” Here’s another book title that...
Ketchup, catsup, and catchup are all anglicized versions of a Chinese dialect term for a type of fish brine. In the 17th century, British and Dutch traders brought the sauce to Europe, and the name evolved, as did the recipe, which eventually...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski dreamed that the long S was still in use, just as when the founders wrote the Bill of Rights and spelled Congress as Congrefs. That dream inspired this week’s puzzle, in which common words seem confusing until you realize that...