Jane in Denver, Colorado, notes some people using the term an in front of a word beginning with a consonant, as if to emphasize that word by modifying it with the incorrect definite article. That may be what’s happening in this scene from the...
Jane in Denver, Colorado, is a fan of audiobooks, but wonders if there’s a better word than read to denote having experienced such a book by listening. Some people have suggested ear reading or audio reading or simply experiencing a book. Or...
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...
Christine in Denver, Colorado, is pondering the etiquette of correcting someone’s pronunciation. How do you approach knowing the actual pronunciation of a word, when it’s not the most common one? For example, Christine learned that the...
hydromowing n.— «The local agencies use three approaches to curbing fire threat—prescribed burning, hand thinning and a relatively new practice known as hydromowing, where a large spinning drum with carbide teeth shreds small trees and...
sixth toe n.— «Like many people in ski towns across the country, alpine ski boots have altered the shape of my feet. Bone spurs and bunionettes (affectionately called the “sixth toe”) plague many a skier.» —“On the Hill: Agony of da...