The word pobbies refers to a warm mixture of milk, bread, and sugar that British mothers traditionally gave children to fill them up or soothe them when they were unwell. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Have Some Pobbies for...
Michelle in Williamsburg, Virginia, wonders about the origin of alley-oop!, which she says when hoisting her toddler. It’s from French allez, the imperative of aller meaning “to go” and houp or hop, an onomatopoeic utterance made while expending...
Nancy in Aurora, Colorado, asks: Is there a better term for one’s adult offspring than childrenor kids. The list of expressions she’s pondered includes adult child, progeny, offspring, man-child, woman-child, descendant, successor...
If you’re going up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire, then you’re going up to bed. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Up the Hill to Bedfordshire, Down the Hall to the Cannes?” Grant, I was pleased recently to...
Our conversation about the phrase I beg your pardon reminded Patricia in Greenville, North Carolina, of a playground taunt from her childhood. If one kid said I beg your pardon, another would respond I grant your grace, I hope the cat will spit in...
Rumer Godden’s 1955 novel An Episode of Sparrows (Bookshop|Amazon) centers on Lovejoy, a girl on a small street in post-war London who sets out to plant a garden. Her small setbacks and victories, seen largely through children’s eyes...