Adam in Abilene, Texas, has fond memories of his mother’s Tex-Mex recipe in a casserole dish. Is it properly called a casserole? A tamale pie? It has to do with whether the dish is baked or not. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
For one family in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the expression tuna casserole serves as code for “Tonight’s dinner doesn’t sound so good, so let’s go out to eat.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Tuna Casserole? Let’s Roll” We heard...
Cher from Minneapolis, Minnesota, shares a funny story about her Alabama-born pastor, who was being welcomed to his new congregation with hot dish. The preacher had always understood the term hot dish as a slang term meaning “a sexy, scantily clad...
For language lovers, it’s like New Year’s, Fourth of July, and the Super Bowl all rolled into one: The brand-new online edition of the Dictionary of American Regional English. Martha and Grant explain what all the fuss is about. Plus, the debate...
Emily in Boulder, Colorado, grew up in Minnesota saying hotdish, usually one word, for dishes like tater tot hotdish, while her Iowa friend calls the same Pyrex-baked mix a casserole. Hotdish is especially a Minnesota usage, with reach into nearby...

