Get out your umbrellas — it’s raining pitchforks and … bullfrogs? This week, it’s odd expressions that mean “a heavy downpour.” Also, holistic vs. wholistic, recurrence vs. reoccurrence, flash drive vs. thumb drive...
Who is Boo-Boo the Fool? A listener wonders if this African-American character has any relation the Puerto Rican fool, Juan Bobo. Martha draws a connection to the Spanish term bobo, meaning “fool,” and its Latin root balbus, meaning “stammerer.” The...
When it comes to language, who’s the decider? Grant explains how grammar rules develop. Also, what’s tarantula juice, and what’s the difference between a muffin top and a smiley? We discuss these and other terms from Green’s...
It’s a brand-new season of A Way with Words! Grant has big news, too: He’s used up his last Metrocard, packed up his belongings, and moved to the Left Coast. He reports on some features of California language there that are already...
After typing Are you shining me on? Wendy in Aloha, Oregon, wondered whether shine might carry the same sting as an offensive racial slur. In this use, to shine someone on means to bluff, delude, fool, or sometimes ignore, and it appears to be...
barbecue summer n.— «After the spring bounce, summer has been a washout for investors. Those of us who were hoping for a barbecue summer on the bourses have been left staring glumly at cloudy skies.» —“After the summer washout...