White on rice isn’t a racist idiom. It likens closeness, stickiness, or being “all over” a task to white rice, long the default rice on many U.S. tables and often sticky. The expression shows up often in African American English, and Geneva...
Susan from San Marcos grew up hearing her grandfather distinguish between cursing and cussing: cursing was for a “slow mind,” while cussing could be playful and inventive. His family-safe substitutes for profanity included elaborate strings such as...
The so-called Wicked Bible is a 1631 version of the King James, printed by Robert Barker and Matin Lucas. This particular Bible is so-called because the printers somehow managed to leave out the word not in the commandment against adultery. They...
What are those symbols cartoonists use in place of profanity? They’re called grawlixes — good to know for the next time you play a game we just invented called “Comic Strip Jargon or Pokemon?” This is part of a complete episode...
Is the term “ladies” an offensive way to refer to a group of women? As a recent discussion on Ask Metafilter revealed, many interpret it as outdated, condescending, or patronizing. The hosts conclude it all depends on context. This is...
Paul from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, spent his first 30 years in Minnesota, so Wisconsin friends sometimes call him a mud duck. In that border-rivalry setting, it’s usually a good-natured jab at Minnesotans, much like cheesehead for Wisconsinites. Among...