A listener from Dallas, Texas, wonders why we say “here, here” to cheer someone on, and “there, there” to calm someone down. Actually, the phrase is “hear, hear,” and it’s imperative, as in, listen to this guy. “There, there,” on the other hand is...
We’ve spoken before about “It’ll be better when you’re married,” often used to console someone who just had a small scrape or cut. A Chicago-area listener wrote us to say that in such cases, her mom’s phrase was “Quick, get a spoon!” This is part of...
Why do we say that someone who’s happy is in hog heaven? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Hog Heaven” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Jackie. I’m in Dallas. Hiya, Jackie. Welcome to the program. Thanks. I’m calling...
solastalgia n.—Gloss: a form of homesickness you get when you are still at home; feeling wistful as though an environment has changed around you. «Albrecht has given this syndrome an evocative name: solastalgia. It’s a mashup of the roots solacium...
retail jail n.— «In a recent story about Home Office plans to ease the burden on police by creating so-called “retail jails” in shopping centres, the phrase “custody suites” was used. I’ve heard of bridal suites, a three-piece suite even, but...
custody suite n.— «In a recent story about Home Office plans to ease the burden on police by creating so-called “retail jails” in shopping centres, the phrase “custody suites” was used. I’ve heard of bridal suites, a three-piece suite even, but...
