The noun bangs, meaning “hair cut straight across the forehead,” may derive from the idea of the word bang meaning “abruptly,” as in a bangtail horse whose tail is trimmed straight across. The verb curtail, meaning to...
A historian in Indianapolis, Indiana, says a World War II-era letter from her father to her mother refers to running a sandy. It’s a phrase that derives from poker and the act of sandbagging, a kind of bluffing of an opponent. This is part of...
You’re at a social gathering and meet someone you’d like to know better. What do you ask to get a real conversation going? Some people lead with “What do you do?,” while others avoid talking about work entirely. Still others...
Pat from Eureka in the far north of California wonders why American English uses bangs for the hair across the forehead, where British English has fringe. The U.S. term traces to bang meaning “abruptly” or “straight across,” as in hair cut bang off...
Grant reveals the surprising origin of the term lunatic fringe. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Origin of Lunatic Fringe” Here’s a here’s a did you know martha a did you know okay you know the expression...