At a South African boarding school, Rob picked up a phrase from Afrikaans that translates to land with your bum in the butter, meaning “to be lucky.” There are several variations in English — often with other words for “bum”, like “ass” or “arse” — and similar expressions in other languages linking butter with positive outcomes. A similar German expression translates as “fall on your face in the butter” and a Dutch phrase suggests falling “with your face in the butter.” A Danish phrase that translates as “to come back with butter on your horns,” means “to reap rewards from an investment,” while another involving falling into water refers to a negative result. This is part of a complete episode.
When a British tabloid reporter writing about a crocodile attack needed a synonym for crocodile, he went with knobbly monster, now a joking term for similarly creative ways of avoiding repetition. Juliet and Matthew Maguire, described by The...
Sara in Camden, New Jersey, wants a word for those people who are more than acquaintances, but not quite friends. She calls them friendlies, but wonders if there’s a better term. Fracquaintance, maybe? The Danish band Mew has an album called...
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