The word larruping and its many variant spellings is often used to describe delicious food. The verb larrup means to “beat” or “strike,” and larruping (often spelled with the G dropped: larrupin’) is used as an intensifier, like whopping or striking. Woody Guthrie used it that way in his memoir Bound for Glory (Bookshop|Amazon). This is part of a complete episode.
Hello! I’m a regular listener and love the show. My ears perked up when your caller Kate, who discussed the word “larruping” and mentioned finding it in a Barbara Kingsolver novel. I thought I had read all her books so I was curious about Feather Crowns, the title Kate mentioned. I looked it up and it’s actually by Bobby Ann Mason. I am listening to the audio book now, and the word “larruping” does show up in reference to a very charismatic preacher. Bobby Ann Mason deserves credit for the creative use of language in this book.
Susie Dent’s murder mystery Guilty by Definition (Bookshop|Amazon) follows a lexicographer in Oxford who becomes a sleuth of a different kind, seeking the culprit in a long-unsolved killing. A lexicographer herself, Dent includes lots of obscure and...
Mona from Riverview, Florida, grew up understanding that the word schmooze, which comes from Yiddish, meant simply “to mingle and chat” at parties, but when she fondly referred to her friend as a schmoozer, the friend was insulted, assuming that a...
Hello! I’m a regular listener and love the show. My ears perked up when your caller Kate, who discussed the word “larruping” and mentioned finding it in a Barbara Kingsolver novel. I thought I had read all her books so I was curious about Feather Crowns, the title Kate mentioned. I looked it up and it’s actually by Bobby Ann Mason. I am listening to the audio book now, and the word “larruping” does show up in reference to a very charismatic preacher. Bobby Ann Mason deserves credit for the creative use of language in this book.