John in Frisco, Texas, is puzzled by his dad’s phrase tougher than a boiled owl. Although it sounds unappetizing, the phrase has a fascinating backstory. In the 18th century, owls were associated with drunkenness, and often invoked in the...
Aravind from Frisco, Texas, asks about wordsmithing, a verb for rephrasing, tightening, and choosing words more carefully. Wordsmith has been around since at least the mid-19th century, built on the older -smith pattern in words such as blacksmith...
Julio from Frisco, Texas, asks about “do me a solid,” meaning “do me a favor,” after first hearing it in a context that made him wonder if it had something to do with bowel trouble. The phrase dates at least to the 1960s and appears to come from an...