Inspired by the success of Barbenheimer, Quiz Guy John Chaneski seeks portmanteau titles for new movies that combine two plotlines. For example, he’s looking for a one-word title for a movie summarized this way: Only the persistent efforts of...
Following up on our conversation about the many meanings of the word proud, Connie from Santee, California, writes to say that architects use proud to describe something that’s sticking out past something else — not flush, in other words...
What is an earwig? Those skinny brown insects with pinchers coming out their backsides have a reputation in folklore for crawling through people’s ears and laying eggs in their skull. But really, earwigs are just simple insects that take their...
Rabbit, Rabbit! In our latest archive edition, we dispense writing advice, discuss funny Spanish idioms, survey the wide array of names for grandparents, and talk about “fixin’ to,” “I’m all set,” and the ditty...
Ron in Escondido asks why street sometimes sounds like shtreet. English speakers around the world have noticed str shifting toward shtr for decades, in words such as street and straight. The likely mechanism is assimilation, in which neighboring...
Grab some popcorn, slip into a folding seat, and you’re ready to watch the coming attractions. But if they’re shown before the main feature, why in the world are movie previews called trailers? Enjoy these old movie trailers at Turner...