Elsie from Fredericksburg, Texas, wonders if a gunnysack and a burlap bag are the same thing. Both are made from coarse fabric, but the word gunnysack is actually redundant, because the gunny goes back to a Sanskrit word that means “sack.” Tow sack...
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 times, people have...
All wool and a yard wide means “reliable and trustworthy.” The phrase was part of advertisements in the late 19th century, touting material produced by textile mills that wasn’t shoddy, which meant it was not made from the shredded fiber of old...
functional food n.— «Too many kids are taken in by claims of health benefits in products that have been enhanced by chemical additives, including fiber, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins. The industry calls these “functional foods,” and...
motor music n.— «My favorite part of this bike: its sound. What Moto Guzzi refers to as its “motor music,” or engine and exhaust notes, was better than any new record I’ve heard recently, particularly the crackle upon roll-off of the catalyzed, 2-1...
wireline adj.— «Although Pacific Telesis Group operates wireline telephone services in the region, U S West has held a cellular franchise in San Diego since 1986.» —“TW lays plans for fiber optic net in San Diego” Variety June 24, 1993. (source:...
