It’s time for book recommendations! Martha’s enjoying an armchair tour of important places in the history of our language, and Grant recommends relaxing with books that make great reading for both children and adults. Plus, are you the...
The word hoodlum first pops up in the 1870’s in San Francisco to refer to the exact thing it does now: guys who are up to no good. In the journal Notes and Queries, you’ll find all kinds of discussion on hoodlum. This is part of a...
A San Francisco man confesses he routinely pronounces the word both as “bolth.” Grant gives him the results of an informal online survey that shows the caller he’s not alone—some 10 percent of respondents said they do the same...
maitre-dish n.— «Both worked at the Fog City Diner; Doug as bartender, Nancy as “maitre-dish.”» —“After a few years, he fit the picture” by Louise Rafkin San Francisco Chronicle (California) July...
contempt-of-cop arrest n.— «“Once Pirone put his hands on Grant,” Burris said, “he knew he had to arrest him. He had to justify why he put his hands on him.” Burris said Pirone and other officers were angry that Grant...
BARF n.— «Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst didn’t name his raw diet after puppy puke. The name “BARF,” which stands for “bones and raw foods,” was coined on the Wellpet e-mail list, where Billinghurst’s...