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 seat of...
If someone’s got your six, it means they’ve got your back. This expression comes from the placement of numbers on an analog clock, and appears to have originated with military pilots. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Got Your Six...
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 Limber...
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 English...
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 have A Way with Words. Hi, this...
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 scene” by Bill Hunt Daily...
