A flash in the pan, meaning “something temporary or transient,” doesn’t derive from gold mining, nor does it have to do with cooking. It originated with firearms, specifically old-fashioned flintlock muskets. When a flinklock’s trigger is pulled...
It’s the ultimate road trip: A father and son retrace the journey of Odysseus and find a way to navigate their relationship. Plus, the story behind the phrase a flash in the pan: It has nothing to do with cooking or gold mining. Also, what’s a...
Skip, a sailing enthusiast from Gainesville, Florida, has been pondering radio protocols, such as the distress signal mayday!, and sécurité, which announces any of various warnings. There’s also pan-pan, repeated three times, a call that...