Almost Up to Possible (full episode)

We recommend books that make great gifts for language lovers, talk about footwear called go-aheads, and look further into going commando. Also, was the 2008 election a historic event or an historic event?

Audio for downloading and online listening will be available here Monday, December 15, 2008.

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The second edition of the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is chock-full of synonyms, of course, but what makes it special are the essays and usage notes by authors such as Simon Winchester, David Lehman, Zadie Smith, and David Foster Wallace. Grant talks about his experience working as an editor on this volume and what David Foster Wallace taught him about language.

We all know that the 2008 presidential election was historic. But was it a historic event or an historic event?

The story goes that hemlines rise and fall with the stock market. If that's the case, then we hope it's not long before we're all hearing people exclaim, "Why, that skirt is almost up to possible!" An Iowa listener recalls that when she was a teen, her granny used that phrase when tsk-tsking about the length of her granddaughter's miniskirt.

In an earlier episode, we speculated about the origin of the phrase go commando, which means to go without underwear. We suggested that it was somehow associated with being "tough as a commando," gritting one's teeth through the attendant chafing. But a listener who served as an infantryman in Vietnam has a different take. After a comrade suggested he "go commando," he discovered that opting out of his army-issued boxer shorts actually made him more comfortable in the tropical heat. We love these firsthand reports about language, so keep 'em coming.

We welcome back the other half of our clopping Clydesdale team of Quiz Guys, Greg Pliska. This week, Greg hauls in some limericks in honor of the year 2008. As you might expect, his Odes to '08 cover everything from the ridiculous to the subprime.

You hear about political groups canvassing for votes. But why canvas? We talk about the possible origins of this word, and the connection between the cannabis and the material known as canvas.

There's the late CNN broadcaster William Headline, the preacher named James God, and the physician named Dr. Hurt. Names like these that match the person's profession are called aptronyms or aptonyms. We talk about the man who coined the term aptronym, and toss in a few more examples. Have a favorite aptronym from your own experience? Tell us about it in the discussion forum.

Here's a question more and more same-sex couples face when starting a family: What names will our child call us? "Mommy and Mama"? "Mommy and Jane?" Maybe a made-up name? An Ohio woman and her female partner are contemplating having a baby, but can't decide which parental names to use.

This week's Slang This! contestant from the National Puzzlers' League, is an actress from New York City. In this hospital-themed quiz, she tries to guess the meaning of the terms sillysoma, fascinoma, happy meal, and code brown.

Slap, slap, slap, slap—the sound of flip-flops on your feet. These floppy-soled shoes go by other names like zoris and thongs, but a caller wonders why in some parts of the country they're called go-aheads.

You have a pair of gloves, and there are two of them; you have a pair of shoes, and there are two; a pair of socks, and there's one for each foot, right? So why do we have a pair of jeans when it's only one item?

Finally today, Martha and Grant talk about two books they love to recommend as gifts: Idiom's Delight by Suzanne Brock, and Karma Wilson's book for children, Bear Snores On, illustrated by Jane Chapman. (Idiom's Delight is out of print, but you can find copies online at places like Alibris.com.)