In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Baseball slang collected during the 1930s includes fishing trip for “taking a swing at a bad ball,” pour the pine for “to hit a good ball solidly,” and the derisive term collisions for “college players,”, that is...
How about this riddle? A man leaves home. He goes a little ways and turns a corner. He goes a while and turns another corner. Soon, he turns one more corner. As he’s returning home, he sees two masked men. Who are they? This is part of a...
This week’s Slang This! contestant, a comic-book illustrator from Providence, R.I., tries to guess the meaning of the expressions “hat-catcher” and “to go shucks.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
hat catcher n.— «His interest in the fire department was another thing Elmore Tonini shared with his father: Both were well-known “hat catchers”—a term for a fan of the fire department.» —“Elmore Tonini, church supply...