Eduarda phones from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to ask about the English expression burn the midnight oil, meaning “to work late.” The phrase goes back to the days of having to use oil lamps for illumination at night. A Spanish idiom somewhat along...
A woman in Bowling Green, Kentucky wonders: How did the phrase wet behind ears come to describe someone who’s inexperienced? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Wet Behind the Ears” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Laura...

