Joe Messina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wonders about the saying That’s it, Fort Pitt, meaning “That’s the end of it” or “We’re done.” The phrase goes back to a slogan for the Fort Pitt Brewing Company, which operated in Pittsburgh from 1906 to...
Patrick in Muncie, Indiana, is fond of jojo potatoes, those delicious deep-fried, seasoned wedges also known as Jo-Jos, and wonders how they got that name. Fortunately, researcher Barry Popik has the scoop. This is part of a complete episode...
When Melissa was growing up in Tacoma, Washington, she’d walk to the corner store, where she’d pick up a corn dog and a bag of jo jos, a term for soft potato wedges with the skin left on. Researcher Barry Popik has dug up a story that may explain...
The saying liar, liar pants on fire is part of a longer children’s rhyme that’s been around since 1841 or so. There are several different versions of what comes after the line liar, liar, pants on fire, such as “Hanging by a telephone wire / While...
Smoking cigars is sometimes known as herfing, and a herf is a lively gathering of like-minded puffers. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Herfing” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, Grant and Martha. This is Blake in Indianapolis...
Why is New York City called the Big Apple? In the 1920s, a writer named John Fitz Gerald used it in a column about the horseracing scene, because racetrack workers in New Orleans would say that if a horse was successful down South, they’d send it to...
