Susan from Eugene, Oregon, remembers school physical education in 1960s California, where teams wore pinnies: colored canvas, apron-like garments, two squares with straps, pulled over the head and tied at the sides. The gym-class term is a clipped...
Dallas, who lives in Eugene, Oregon, wonders why we use number one and number two as euphemisms for “pee” and “poo.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Number One and Number Two for Pee and Poo”...
This week: Do you ever find yourself less-than-specific about your age? Listeners share some of their favorite phrases for fudging that number, like: “Oh, I’m 29, plus shipping and handling.” Also in this episode: • Since ancient...
A listener in Ypsilanti, Michigan, wonders how the Army vehicle called a jeep got its name. Answer: It was associated with Eugene the Jeep, a strange creature from the 1930s comic strip, Popeye. Lexicographers and etymologists find no evidence to...
toy hauler n.— «A good number of the units on display were of a style that didn’t even exist a few years ago. That would be the “sport utility trailer,” more commonly known as the “toy hauler.” A SUT is a travel...
petbull n.— «Pit bull enthusiasts, who sometimes refer to the dogs as “petbulls,” devote Web sites to changing perceptions about the animal. They note that one of the most beloved dogs of television and film fame—Petey of...
