Back in the 1930s, airplane pilots didn’t have sophisticated instruments to tell them which way was up. When flying through clouds, they literally relied on changes in the vibrations in their seat to help them stay on course, flying by the...
Julia in Portland heard got your six on Stargate SG-1, where Air Force characters use it to mean “I’m watching your back.” The image is an analog clock: picture yourself at the center facing 12, and 6 is directly behind you. The expression likely...
A woman of Puerto Rican descent wonders about limber, the name of the savory frozen treat popular in her homeland. Was it really named in honor of aviator Charles Lindbergh? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Puerto Rican...
If English isn’t your first language, there are lots of ways to learn it, such as memorizing Barack Obama’s speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention. Martha and Grant talk about some of the unusual ways foreigners are learning to speak...
Why do aviators say roger to indicate they’ve received a message? A pilot phones the show about that, wilco, and similar language. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pilot Language “Roger”” Hello, you...
pencil plane n.— «The last leg of the trip was by “pencil plane,” as he called it, and he landed in the teeth of one of the worst storms of the season on Dec. 15.» —“Singh aims to put footprint on regional soccer...