If someone plans to make hay of something, they’re going to take advantage of it. It comes from the idiom “make hay while the sun shines,” based on the fact that moving hay can be a real pain when it’s dark and damp. This is...
Is it wrong to refer to children as kids? One discerning mother, when asked about her kids, always replied, “I don’t raise goats, but my children are fine.” Grant explains that as early as the 1600s, the word kids had popped up to...
Why do physicians speak of turfing an undesirable patient? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Turfing” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi there, this is Carmen Areola from Carlsbad. Hi, Carmen. Hi, Carmen. How are you...
When is it more appropriate to use the word female as opposed to woman? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Female vs. Woman” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Krista from Dallas, Texas. Hello, Krista. Welcome...
Swarthy doesn’t mean hairy. Christian from Austin, Texas, used the phrase swarthy-eyed dog, and his wife, an English teacher, insisted the word meant hairy. It actually describes someone who is dark-complected, with dark skin and dark hair, the kind...
“Full fathom five thy father lies…” When the Bard wrote these immortal words, he was talking about the word fathom as a measure of distance. But a Chicago caller can’t quite fathom the meaning of the verb “to fathom...