Mike calls from Bloomsberg, Pennsylvania to ask about the word picayune, meaning “petty.” Why would a New Orleans newspaper call itself The Times-Picayune? The adjective picayune, meaning “trifling” or “insignificant,” derives from French picaillon...
Scartle is an old Scots word meaning to scrape together little bits of things, like picking the coins and crumbs out of a car seat. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Scartle” Scartle Myrtle You’re doing a word game, right? No, I was...
“Biting the bit,” akin to champing at the bit, means someone’s raring to go, or out of control. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Biting the Bit” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Christina from Oakland. Hi, Christina...
What’s the difference between champing at the bit and faunching at the bit? Champing, or chomping, means you’re pumped up and ready to go, while faunching — more common in the Southwest — implies more anger and frustration. This is part of a...
