ShowZora Neale Hurston

Words, phrases, expressions, idioms, and other linguistic and dialect features associated with Zora Neale Hurston (Jan. 7, 1891–Jan. 28, 1960), an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker who became a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Drawing on her ethnographic research in the American South, Haiti, and Jamaica, she celebrated Black folklore, language, and culture in her writing. Though acclaimed during her life, her most famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), gained wider recognition after her death, securing her place as a major voice in American literature.

Die Bull-Headed

Darcy calls from North Pole, Alaska, to share a saying her grandparents used when she asked for something she couldn’t have. It sounded like either You may want horns, but you’ll die mole-headed or You may want horns, but you’ll...

Lick the Calf Over

In response to our earlier conversation about the phrase to lick the cat over, meaning to repeat a laborious process, many listeners say they use the phrase lick the calf over to mean the same thing. Among the writers who have used it this way: Zora...

Butt-Headed

“You might want horns, but you’re gonna die butt-headed!” This expression derives from butt-headed, meaning “without horns,” and shows up in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. This is part of a complete episode.