A Few Pickles Short of a Jar (full episode)

I'm living in Wisconsin now. Home of the Ole' and Lena jokes. So, in honor of this genre, whenever someone is a little bit aways from the norm I just say they are 'one Lena short of a joke'.

Grant Barrett said:

A few pickles short of a jar, a few peas short of a casserole, two French fries short of a Happy Meal—this week, Martha and Grant discuss these and other full-deckisms, those clever ways to describe someone who falls short in some way. Also, what's the story behind the old phrase "fish or cut bait"? When does the word "it's" have an apostrophe? And is "that's a good question" really a good response?

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"Not the brightest bulb in the Christmas tree lights," "The wind is blowing but nothing's moving," "A few tacos short of a combo platter." After Grant tells a story on himself, the hosts discuss euphemistic ways of saying someone's not playing with a full deck.

Is it ever okay to write the word it's to indicate the possessive? Is the correct sentence "The dog is chewing its bone," or "The dog is chewing it's bone"? It's easy to figure out once you know the formula: It's = it is.

Grant mentions that there's an ice cream called "It's It."

Fish or cut bait. What does it mean, exactly? Stop fishing and cut your line, or stop fishing and do something else useful, like cutting bait?

In an earlier episode, we discussed linguistic false friends, those words in foreign languages that look like familiar English words, but mean something quite different. Martha reads an email response from a listener who learned the hard way that in Norway "Tann Paste" is not the same as "tanning cream."

Quiz Guy Greg Pliska has a puzzle called "Categorical Allies." After he says a word, you must come up with second word that's in the same category, and begins with the last two letters of the original word. For example, if he says "Sampras," then the category is tennis, and the second word is "Ashe." Now try this first clue: "Sacramento." The second word would be...?

If someone says, "That's a good question," do you find it annoying or insincere?

A Texas caller wonders about the origin and meaning of the term ultracrepidarian.

Grant shares an entomological—not etymological—riddle.

The expression "It'll never be seen on a galloping horse" means "Don't be such a perfectionist." But why? A caller remembers an even odder version: It'll never be seen on a galloping goose.

In an earlier episode, a caller named Todd said that people are forever calling him Scott. He wondered if there was some linguistic reason that people so often confused these names. Grant does a follow-up on why people sometimes mix up names.

You're struggling to live on a budget. Are you trying to make ends meet or make ends meat?

The hosts offer some more full-deckisms, such as "He doesn't have all his cornflakes in one box" and "She thought she couldn't use her AM radio in the evening."

A San Francisco man confesses he routinely pronounces the word "both" as "bolth." Grant gives him the results of an informal online survey that shows the caller he's not alone—some 10 percent of respondents said they do the same thing.

Is there a single word that sums up the idea of morbid fascination?

I think this phrase is somewhat overused – as was said on the show, it may be more a way of stalling for time or just giving some positive strokes to the person asking the question. However, as a university professor who used to respond with this phrase to almost every question to be supportive of my students, I have come to the conclusion that not all questions are good. Examples are 1) asking questions that were just asked by another student, but the questioner wasn't paying attention, 2) asking questions that are intended to make a point rather than truly inquire on a subject (e.g. I have had students in the past who posture to try to increase other students' perceptions of the questioner), and 3) asking questions that cannot fairly be answered (e.g. the "when did you stop beating your spouse?" type of question, though I haven't seen this happen in a university setting.) So, at least I would suggest that people consider carefully whether the question was truly good before saying this.

Paul

Grant Barrett said:

If someone says, "That's a good question," do you find it annoying or insincere?

Fish or cut bait. What does it mean, exactly? Stop fishing and cut your line, or stop fishing and do something else useful, like cutting bait?

As I understand this phrase, it means to "either do it, or give up". It's, in my mind, identical to "sh*t or get off the pot". I've lived all over the country and have used this phrase in that way in so many states. I've always been understood.

Martha reads an email response from a listener who learned the hard way that in Norway "Tann Paste" is not the same as "tanning cream."

This does not ring true to me. Surely she would have smelled the mint??

Martha, while you and I share that we experienced grammar-school traumas — mine being the serial comma — I have to disagree with your teacher's rule: it's could also mean "it has."
e.g. "It's been 3 years since we've gone to Europe."
In this case, your teacher's rule would break. You cannot substitute "it is" for this it's. But you certainly should not write it as its.

If someone says, "That's a good question," do you find it annoying or insincere?

I have been encouraged by these words at times when asking a somewhat public question. In other settings, I've witnessed questions that pointed out issues that had not been considered, but that were important oversights. Everyone was glad the question was raised. So I don't really have a problem with this, even if it is used as a crutch for the speaker to gather thoughts.

The related expression that does bother me is "There's no such thing as a stupid question." I often respond "We all know that's not true." Then, if pressed, I would refer to situations similar to those that wagnerpaulj so aptly points out above.

wagnerpaulj