TagFictional characters

Dragonfly Nicknames

The distinctive shape of the dragonfly has inspired lots of different nicknames for this insect, including snake doctor, devil’s darning needle, skeeter hawk, spindle, snake eyes, and ear sewer, the last of which rhymes with “mower...

Great Galloping Grammar!

Howdy, logomanes! Speaking of manes, we begin with news from Miami, where, in last week's South Beach Stakes, a longshot mare (11-1) scored a surprise upset over the heavy favorite to win a $50,000 purse. The winner's name? "Way...

Filking

Ever notice how you can sing the lyrics of “Amazing Grace” to the theme from “Gilligan’s Island”—or for that matter, to “The House of the Rising Sun”? Turns out there are many more examples of this. Is there...

Peep-Eye

A woman says that when playing hide-and-seek with a small child, her mother-in-law says “peep-eye!” instead of “peekaboo!” Is that usage limited to certain parts of the country? And where do they say “pee-bo!”...

Keep At Bay

To keep something at bay means to maintain a safe distance from it. But does this expression derive from an old practice of using bay leaves to ward off pestilence? This is part of a complete episode.

Recent posts