To go gangbusters is to “perform well and vigorously” or “act with energy and speed,” as in an economy going gangbusters. The term recalls the swift aggression of 1930’s police forces decisively breaking up criminal gangs. The old-time radio show...
What do you call that force that keeps you lounging on the couch rather than get up the energy to go outdoors? A listener calls it house gravity. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “House Gravity” Mark Hanslick of Ketchikan, Alaska...
When does a word’s past make it too sensitive to use in the present? In contra dancing, there’s a particular move that dancers traditionally call a gypsy. But there’s a growing recognition that many people find the term gypsy offensive. A group of...
When someone urges you to put some mustard on it, they want you to add some energy and vigor. It’s a reference to the piquancy of real, spicy mustard, and has a long history in baseball. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Put Some...
Someone should write a love letter to a new book called Letters of Note. It’s a splendid collection of all kinds of correspondence through the ages: Elvis Presley fans writing to the president, children making suggestions to famous cartoonists, a...
With all its specialized notation and rules and means of expressing ideas, is it correct to say that chemistry is a language? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Chemistry is a Language” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hey, this is...