Mary from Greensboro, North Carolina, asks about an expression her Canadian mother used when Mary’s room looked particularly messy: A cow couldn’t find her calf in here! The more common A cow couldn’t find its calf in this room! was popularized by...
What’s the difference between ethics and morality? Between a proverb and an adage? Eli Burnstein’s Dictionary of Fine Distinctions: Nuances, Niceties and Subtle Shades of Meaning (Bookshop|Amazon) helps readers distinguish between such...
Why is an exciting event called a barnburner? A real barn on fire can be a spectacular sight, with so many combustible materials inside. Metaphorically, then, a barnburner is a “humdinger” or a “doozy.” There’s also a...
Suzanne from Tallahassee, Florida, is curious about her father’s expression: Let’s go knock the stink off, meaning something along the lines of “Let’s get out of here” or “Let’s go shake off the doldrums...
Thomas in Bahama, North Carolina, says his father used to say “You can’t hang around the barbershop and not get your haircut,” which seems to be a warning about being influenced by the company you keep. Similar ideas are expressed...
The good thing about lending someone your time machine? You pretty much get it back immediately. “I know, right?!” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Lending Your Time Machine” Grant, I have an aphorism that I...
