Good poetry is even better when you read it aloud. For his anthology, Essential Pleasures, former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky selected works with just that in mind. Martha and Grant discuss a poem from the book with lines that are more delicious when spoken. Also this week: If a woman decides to keep her own name after getting married, should she be addressed as Ms. or Mrs.? When you were young, what did you call your favorite blanket? When do you redd up the table, and what does it mean to be out like Lottie's eye?
This episode first aired January 23, 2010. Listen here:
[audio: http://feeds.waywordradio.org/~r/awwwpodcast/~5/11KmaAGQhV4/110110-AWWW-down-a-chimney-up.mp3 ]
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The hosts talk about some verses from Essential Pleasures, Robert Pinsky's anthology of poems meant to be read aloud.
If a woman decides to keep her own name after getting married, should she be addressed as Ms. or Mrs.?
"Don't be frontin'!" A Texas college student is curious about the origin of "fronting," and learns that it goes back several decades to the world of petty criminals.
What can go up a chimney down, but not down a chimney up? Martha has that riddle's answer.
Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a happy time with a word puzzle whose answers all include the word "happy." Try this: "The nickname of Xaviera Hollander, as derived from the title of her bestselling 1971 memoir."
When you were small, did you have a favorite blanket? If so, what'd you call it? A woobie? A blankie? A listener says her grandmother called hers an ookoosh, and wonders if the word reflects grandma's Czech roots.
If you're driving and need to turn 180 degrees, you make a U-turn. But what do you make if you speak a language that doesn't include the letter "U"? If you're a Hindi speaker, what do you call wearing a V-neck sweater in an A-frame house?
When someone's fast asleep, a Texan might say that he's out like Lottie's eye. But who's Lottie and what happened to her eye?
Some children don't talk until they're age three or older, then go on to do just fine. Why do some kids start speaking relatively late in life? The hosts talk about a recent Ask Metafilter thread on that topic.
Is there a word that describes someone who's good at visualizing how best to pack a suitcase or car? A Michigan woman is sure she heard such a term for someone who can visualize 3-D arrangements in advance, but darned if she can recall what it is. Can the hosts help?
A Connecticut listener is suspicious of a Wikipedia entry that claims the slang term homie derives from Latin homo, meaning man.
The Spanish phrase "Donde lloran, está al muerto" literally translates as "Where there's crying, there's a dead person." In everyday use, however, the meaning is somewhat different. You might use it, for example, to describe someone who claims not to have money when in fact he does. A bilingual caller wonders if there's an analogous expression that refers to someone who's miserly despite being wealthy. Grant recommends he check out A Dictionary of Mexican-American Proverbs by Mark Glazer.
Another riddle: I'm taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case from which I'm never released, yet I'm used by almost everybody. Who am I?
Redd up the table! A California listener says he remembers hearing that all the time when growing up in Iowa, but now that he's on the West Coast, no one has any idea what he's talking about.
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Martha! You astonish me! "When you're lying awake with a dismal headache" (the show-stopper from the operetta IOLANTHE) describes, not a headache, but a sleepless night brought on by "love, unrequited."
On the other hand, why am I astonished? I guess it isn't realistic to expect you to know everything. It should be sufficient for me that you know nearly everything.
I found the discussions about Ms. and Mrs. incredibly dull, and quite pointless. I was also surprised when I first learned women taking husband's last names could be a point of contention. The matters were very clear to me when I was growing up in Taiwan. When referring to a couple, it's simply calling them by one last name as in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, so one would know Mrs. Smith, the lady, is married to Mr. Smith, the man. When Mrs. Smith is referred to as an individual at work or otherwise, she would be called Ms. Crumpacker to show respect. Also, women would also refer to one another as Mrs., but that doesn't mean those women have taken the troubles to get their names changed (as a matter of fact, most don't at my mother's generation). When I was young, I would call my friend's mom something like Mother Smith, because I only knew my friend's last name, and the lady was my friend's mom. I was not about to ask a bunch questions regarding her last name before saying 'Hi' to her for the first time!! What is the big problem of having a practical custom for calling each other without causing a big ruckus?!
Great episode, guys... and with a surprising number of cliff-hangers. I think it's the first episode I've heard in a long time where there were so many puzzling and unanswerable questions! Still, very interesting stuff.
The fellow who called in to ask about the Spanish expression made me recall an old term that my family used to describe the same sort of individual referred to in the expression. Such a person was said to be "poor-mouthing". In essence, this was a person who constantly complained about money but clearly had no lack of financial means. I've also heard it used to describe someone who complains a lot, in general, aside from financial matters. I think it's a good term, too, because it's so descriptive -- this person is poor only in what they're saying (i.e. speaking poorly of themselves).
When the caller asked about the word "ookoosh," I initially thought she was saying "couche-couche." While I've only ever heard of this word being used for a Cajun breakfast food, it would make sense as a child's word for a blankie because of the root word coucher (to put to bed). However, the only French "baby word" I've ever heard for blankie is "dodo." Of course, that doesn't mean the usage isn't out there, only that I've never heard it.