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...
A woman in Vancouver, Washington, wants to know the origin of the phrase the coast is clear, meaning “it’s safe to proceed.” It most likely has to do with a literal coast, whether from the perspective of a ship at sea or guards patrolling the...
If you want to reassure someone, you might say “I’ve got your back.” In Persian, however, to indicate the same thing, you’d say the equivalent of “I have your air,” which is havato daram. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “I’ve Got...
A Jackson, Mississippi, woman who used to work in Japan says that each day as she left the office, her colleagues would say Otsukaresama desu, which means something along the lines of “Thank you for your hard work.” Although its literal translation...
Many listeners responded to our conversation about the use of the term auntie to refer to an older woman who is not a blood relative. It turns out that throughout much of Africa, Asia, as well as among Native Americans, the word auntie, or its...
What’s the female equivalent of a man cave? Some people are promoting the term she shed. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Man Cave and She Shed” We’ve heard about man caves. Do you have a man cave, Grant? I’ve got a tiny spot in...