A listener who grew up in Newfoundland remembers her grandfather declaring the fog was thick as burgoo. Turns out burgoo was sailors’ slang for a gray, gelatinous oatmeal—exactly the right image for an impenetrable Newfoundland fog. The word appears...
Miley in The Dalles, Oregon, asks about going gunny bags meaning to “break down” or “go haywire.” Her mother uses this expression, but has no idea where she picked it up. The term gunny sack, referring to a bag made of coarse material such as jute...
While in Canada, Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins, encountered the term keener, meaning “enthusiast.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Keener” The writer Jamie Attenberg mentioned a word on Facebook that I don’t think...
