Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article? Plus, those Little...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a take-off puzzle this week, offering clues to rhyming two-word phrases made by removing the letter D from the beginning of one of them. For example, if your sound equipment was damaged in a flood, what are you left with...
Belsnickle n.— «“Belsnickle,” a word meaning “Good St. Nicholas,” is a term used for a figure of Santa Claus holding a tree or branch in his folded arms. Santa is usually not smiling on a belsnickle, and the branch was originally meant as a switch...

