Amelia in Arlington, Virginia, was surprised to hear her wife, who is from Iowa, use the phrasegetting the goody out to describe someone sporting a well-worn pair of sweatpants, indicating that they were continuing to get the most out of that raggedy piece of clothing. Since the 18th century, the term goody has referred to “the edible part of a nut,” and can also denote other desirable things that take a little bit of extra effort to pry loose, such as crabmeat or the yolk of an egg. This is part of a complete episode.
Google Translate has expanded its offerings with 110 more languages, including major languages such as Cantonese, endangered languages such as Manx, and many less-spoken ones like Kallaalisut, used in Greenland, and Latgalian in Latvia. This is part...
John in Omaha, Nebraska, wonders about a phrase that encourages someone to attend an event or risk being left out or feeling uncool: be there or be square. Don’t fall for the fake etymology about people wearing boxes on their heads! Ditto for...
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