Coup de grâce means “stroke of mercy” in French, originally a mercy killing for someone or something mortally wounded. Vera in San Diego wondered after a Thanksgiving family debate whether it can also mean a final touch or decisive event and whether...
Like mushrooms in fallen leaves, new words keep popping up overnight. Also, is there an English word that means “the in-laws of your son or daughter“? And what does it mean when someone says, “Well, that was odder than Dick’s...
Obamamania, Obamabot, Obamathon, Obamamentum— the list of variations on the name “Obama” goes on and on. Is there an English word that means “the in-laws of your son or daughter”? And what does it mean when someone...
Pope’s nose is a jocular name for the fatty tail end of a turkey, the part also called the parson’s nose, or more anatomically, the uropygium. Holly in Oregon heard the expression from a nun in Alaska and wondered whether it was irreverent. It fits...
A Texan says his grandmother used to refer to the thigh of a chicken as the “second joint.” Martha and Grant discuss whether it’s a regional term. By the way, if you want to know the French term Martha mentions that roughly...
