Sue in Santee, California, heard do it up brown in older movies and wondered what it meant. The phrase usually means to do something thoroughly, excellently, or to perfection, likely from the image of browning food just right. Related forms such as...
Pearl, a youngster in Massachusetts, heard turmeric at dinner over kale and chickpeas and wondered whether her mother’s second-syllable stress matched ordinary dictionary pronunciations. For this spice from India, dictionaries record several...
Ron in Grand Rapids, Michigan, grew up hearing relatives ask for a receipt when they wanted a recipe, as in getting the instructions for a good cake. That usage is old-fashioned but well established. Both receipt and recipe go back to Latin...
Turn the music down, it doesn’t need to be on boydog! Have you heard this synonym for “the highest level”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Music on Boydog” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, Martha...
Our Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a game called Word Scouts. In order to earn your badge, you’ll have to know the architectural term Bauhaus and the flower that’s also a past tense verb. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
A Texas listener recounts an ongoing debate in her family’s kitchen over the exact definition of the word spatula. Is it the kitchen tool used to spread icing and level measuring cups? Something you use to flip a pancake? That item with the...
