stand-up historian
n.— «The Great Squirrel Stampede of 1826 is one of David Heighway’s favorite tales. Caused by an overpopulation of squirrels that lost their food supply for natural reasons across the Midwest, it’s on the local historian’s A-list of material. That sort of stuff comes in handy during brief presentations, or as he refers to it, playing “stand-up historian.”» —“Hamilton County historian is interested in area’s unusual stories” by Chris Sikich Indianapolis Star (Indiana) May 28, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In 1916, a small-town newspaper in Pennsylvania printed a fanciful item about a local gathering with a guest list that included, among others, Miss Ella Vader, Mr. Ray Zor, and other punny names. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Amy from Charlotte, North Carolina, reports a dispute arose when visiting her brother’s family. Is a large container for storing sugar properly called a can or a canister? The answer involves prototype theory, which in cognitive linguistics and...