In Mandarin Chinese, if you’re “big red and big purple,” it means you’re “famous and popular.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Big Red and Big Purple” Grant another color idiom for...
Are the names Aaron and Erin pronounced the same? A bicoastal listener insists they should sound different. A longer discussion about Erin vs. Aaron is on the Straight Dope message board. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
“Too much sugar for a dime” can mean either “too good to be true,” or “more trouble than it’s worth.” Merle Travis and Judy Hayden sing about it. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Too...
What’s your choice for the word or phrase that best captures the zeitgeist of 2010? Grant shares some of his “word of the year” candidates, including refudiate, mama grizzly, starwhacker, and of course, vuvuzela. This is part of a...
Martha describes a funny linguistic misunderstanding she had while trying to read Harry Potter in Spanish. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Harry Potter en Español” Grant, we were talking earlier in the show about that...
Sandy from Fort Worth grew up hearing Oklahoma relatives call dragonflies snake doctors. It isn’t just a family expression: snake doctor is a traditional folk name, tied to an old tale that dragonflies follow snakes and sew them up when they’re hurt...