Which is it: rabble rouser or rebel rouser? It’s rabble rouser, rabble meaning “a confused collection of things” or “a motley crowd.” Rubble rouser is an incorrect variant listed in the Eggcorn Database. This is part of a complete episode...
A hawk in its prime state of fitness is known as a yarak, a word that may derive from a Persian word meaning “strength, ability.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Yarak” Grant, here’s a word I didn’t know until yesterday. Yarek...
Hey, ho, here's a brief newsletter from "A Way with Words." In this past weekend's episode we talked about new words, Dick's hatband, bye week, simping, the parson's nose, and more: Also this past week, Martha took a look...
Martha muses about the language of falconry, and in the process, reveals the origins of several words and phrases in one fell swoop.
Brent from San Diego asks why the expression “keep your eyes peeled” uses peeled, and whether it has anything to do with birds of prey opening their eyes. The phrase is spelled P-E-E-L, and its likely 19th-century sense is simply that the eyelids...