We spoke with a listener about the German word querfeldein, or literally “diagonally into the field,” which he used to describe an informal route he and his wife had taken while out for a walk. Many other listeners chimed in with...
Ben calls from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to say that he and his wife, who is from Germany, were taking a leisurely stroll at Valley Forge. They ended up leaving one of the trails and taking a diagonal route across a field and agreed that in...
Noah, a nine-year-old in Yuma, Arizona, asks about cattywampus, the word his mother uses for things that are messed up. It means askew, awry, crooked, or otherwise not as it should be. The origin is uncertain, but the word is at least a century old...
I went to Paris, I went to Egypt, I’ve been to New York, and I will be going to Rome. I do this by sitting in a corner. Who am I? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Sitting in a Corner Riddle” Grant another word puzzle...
Michael from Weatherford, Texas, called because he hears caddywampus more often in Texas than in California. Catawampus, meaning “askew,” can be spelled at least 15 different ways, with Ks, Cs, Ds, and different vowels. It likely derives from the...