Maggie from Washington, D.C., heard a college friend from Eastern North Carolina and later a veterinarian referring to the panting of a dog as hassling. In the 19th century, the verb hussle was used in Southeast England to mean “wheeze or breathe...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Bookshop|Amazon) had an earlier title: A Week with Willie the Worm. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Title” Here’s another book title that...
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...
In her book, Canadian English: A Linguistic Reader, University of Toronto professor Elaine Gold writes extensively about the common Canadian discourse tag eh? This word can serve as a confirmation marker, much like the discourse tag right? The word...
Prepare for a groaner: If you say all the vowels in the name Celine Dion, you just may be inspired to sing a song yourself. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Sing with Celine” You know, the singer Celine Dion grew up in...
What’s an unexpected term for tollbooths? How about … Bill Gates? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Also Penny Lane?” Here’s another unparalleled misalignment that I really like toll booths and Bill...