Nathan in Raleigh, North Carolina, says his father described the process of cooking a big meal for the family as proceeding steady by jerks. This expression refers to a process that occurs by fits and starts or episodically. This is part of a...
When the pressure drops in an airplane cabin and all the oxygen masks fall, pilots refer to all that equipment hanging down as a rubber jungle. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Rubber Jungle Pressure Bundles” The other day I was...
Edward in Atlanta, Georgia, wonders how and why English speakers came to use the phrase blah, blah, blah as a placeholder or filler. These repeated syllables are likely intended to mirror the sound of English, if not the meaning of specific words...
In parts of the South, according to the Dictionary of American Regional English, the word mess can denote “a witty, clever, or mischievous person.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “A Southern Mess” You know, we were talking earlier...
Our Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a zombiefied puzzle called Dead Reckoning. What’s the problem with putting zombies in the legislature? A deadlocked government! This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Zombie Word Puzzle” You’re listening to...
How about the phrase “saddle my nag”? No, this phrase isn’t some obscure bit of jargon from world of finance. It’s an expression familiar to Aussie schoolchildren. Martha explains what it means. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...