Someone who is likened to “a dog in the manger” is acting spitefully, claiming something they don’t even need or want in order to prevent others from having it. The story that inspired this phrase goes all the way back to ancient...
“Scat cat, your tail’s on fire” is a fun variant of “scat cat, get your tail out of the gravy”—both of which are Southern ways to say “bless you” after someone sneezes. This is part of a complete episode...
Cat face is a cute way to describe something like a piece of fruit or a tree that’s grown in on itself, giving it a puckered kind of indentation. Particularly in the African-American community, it’s used to denote a wrinkle to be ironed...
The term dog pound sounds a lot more menacing than animal shelter, until you learn that pound simply has to do with the idea of an enclosed space, as does a pond, which is often formed by enclosing a space and filling it with water. This is part of...
If you want to check the weather without leaving the sofa, just call in the dogs and see if they’re wet. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Call In The Dogs” I found another great casualism for wondering if...
Don’t call these dogs mutts: they’re bassadors, schnugs and dalmadoodles. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Dog Breed Portmanteaus” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how...