Quiz Guy John Chaneski maintains that lots of nation’s names are hiding in plain sight during our everyday conversations, and he has a puzzle to prove it. For example, if he says, “Here on the farm, we don’t drink coffee. We just take the dry...
Eric from Iron Station, North Carolina, shared his father-in-law’s expression If you’re waiting on me, you’re backing up. It’s a joking reply when someone asks if you’re ready, meaning “Don’t wait on me—I’m already set.” The saying leans on the...
An Indianapolis, Indiana, man says that when his grandmother wanted to urge someone on, she’d say “It’s time to pour the cobs on” or “It’s time for the cobs.” What’s the origin? This is part of a...
A Kentucky cross-country runner had a case of hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, or fear of the number 666. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Fear of the Number 666” I was reading a news item online the other day, and I came...
COOL n.— «Early on Friday, U.S. analysts said the bans were likely because of Mexico’s opposition to a recently enacted meat labeling law. The law, commonly called Country-of-Origin Labeling or COOL, requires that meat packages in U.S...
Outside n.— «One tough lesson she said she learned Outside, as Alaskans often call the rest of the country: the media is not always fair.» —“Palin Returns to Snow and Cold of Home” by William Yardley in Anchorage...