Cindy from Henderson, Kentucky, enjoys a wonderful relationship with her ex-husband’s new wife, and she’s looking for a word to indicate their special connection. The sister of your husband is your sister-in-law, of course, but what’s a good word for the spouse of your ex? She’s considered the term sister-out-law, but that doesn’t feel right. We’ve discussed this question before, and listeners suggested ex-in-law or wife-in-law or step-wife. Others define the person in relation to their children, as in my son’s stepmother. We’re turning on the siren, putting the cherries and berries on the roof, and calling out for more suggestions! Have a better word for the new partner of your former spouse? Tell us!This is part of a complete episode.
According to Gobsmacked: The British Invasion of American English (Bookshop|Amazon) by Ben Yagoda, the word smarmy, meaning “unctuous” or “ingratiating,” may come from a 19th-century magazine contest, in which readers sent in...
Mary Beth in Greenville, South Carolina, wonders: Why do we say four-oh-nine for the number 409 instead of four-zero-nine or four-aught-nine? What are the rules for saying either zero or oh or aught or ought to indicate that arithmetical symbol...
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