In parts of Appalachia, the southern United States, and a few other places, the expression I don’t care to is understood to mean “I wouldn’t mind to.” In other words, I don’t care to may mean exactly the opposite of...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski says his wife, the poet Jennifer Michael Hecht, has pointed out that there are some people who shouldn’t be classified as ne’er-do-wells, because every once in a while, they do manage to do something right...
In an essay in LitHub, Kate Angus urges writers to be kind to themselves when they have a creative block. Sometimes you can get past it simply by letting yourself not write at all, with the hope that lying fallow for a while may be just what you...
A haiku from artist Alan Nakagawa’s collection of poems about social distance celebrates the kind of companionship that plants provide. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Plant Haiku” Here’s another pandemic...
A CARE package was first a postwar relief parcel, not just a box of snacks for a homesick student. In 1946, CARE meant Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe, a coalition of civic, social, religious, and labor groups that sent food and...
Rare word fans: uhtceare, from Old English words that mean “dawn” and “care,” is a fancy term for those worries you fret over in the wee hours. Next time you find yourself lying awake at night worrying, try reading the...

