Adam in Indianapolis grew up with his grandmother’s warning not to split a pole, meaning that two companions shouldn’t pass on opposite sides of a lamppost, mailbox, or other street obstacle. The idea is that the physical separation hints at an...
Quiz Guy Greg Pliska drops in with a word game called “False Opposites.” They’re pairs of words whose prefixes, suffixes, and other elements make them appear to be opposites, even though they’re not. For example, what seeming opposites might be...
raycation n.— «We’ve grown used to the word “staycation” but what about a “raycation”? That’s the term Huntingdon County is looking to bank on. The term was coined by the county’s visitors bureau. The county’s tourism industry brings in $56 million...
James in Seattle asks whether the final s belongs in words like toward, forward, and backward. In American English, especially in print, style guides generally prefer the forms without s. British English is more likely to use forms with the s, such...
monster-mashing n.— «“Forward march.” The movements are new, and Cain still has to think about what he is doing. Pretty soon, left becomes right, and instead of swinging his arms naturally—right arm, left leg, etc.—he is “monster-mashing,” the...
bounce box
n.— «Bounce box: the box with food and extra band-aids etc. that you forward to yourself from post office to post office.» —“Having fun out there” by Rodent RealTravel June 13, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)