A listener from Dallas wonders about the origin of “I don’t cotton to,” meaning “I’m not in favor of” or “I don’t get along with.” Though it sounds like a classic Southern phrase, Martha traces...
Martha argues in favor of the serial comma, citing a recent newspaper caption: “The documentary was filmed over three years. Among those interviewed were his ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall.” How’s that again? This...
MobMov n.— «Guerrilla drive-ins or “MobMovs”—shorthand for mobile movies—are popping up around the country in a variety of configurations. Unlike Young’s old-school use of real film, guerrilla drive-ins typically eschew the...
Seattle polite n.— «Seattle is commonly referred to as the Emerald City, which implies that we see ourselves as a gleaming jewel (and perhaps earth friendly as well), a showplace of what a good city should be. We favor getting things done...
bug n.— «Now that Ms. Studart is no longer an apprentice, her prospects for rides are unclear, especially with more experienced jockeys coming to New York for the summer season. Trainers tend to favor apprentices—nicknamed “bugs” for the...
PrEP n.— «Like Adam, many gay men around the country are opting to forgo the standard defense against HIV—a condom—in favor of a highly controversial and thus far unproven method of protection known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP...