In parts of the American South, a can of creasies is a can of watercress salad, also known as salad greens. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Creasies” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Mary Beth Wood. Hi...
When someone’s fly is down, do you say XYZ for “Examine your zipper”? For a change of pace, you might try another euphemistic expression used the Southern United States and South Midlands: Is your finger sore? As in, Is your finger...
Ruth from Philadelphia asks whether hiya, a greeting she grew up using near Quakertown, Pennsylvania, is a real word or just a local oddity. The form is well attested: the Dictionary of American Regional English records American examples back to...
That fatty bump at the end of a turkey or a chicken, known as the pope’s nose, is also called the south end of a northbound chicken. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Fatty End of Chicken” Grant, we’ve talked...
Do you have a saying for when you drive over a bump and plop back down? In the Northeast, it’s common to say thank you, ma’am, since the nodding motion of a head going over a bump is reminiscent of genteel greetings. It’s also...
Gloria in Indianapolis wondered whether johnny-on-the-spot praises a helpful person or means a porta-potty after her sisters split over the phrase during a group photo. Both readings can collide. Johnny-on-the-spot, a helpful fellow who appears just...