A caller from East Tennessee swears that he’s heard ducks imitating the sounds of some nearby geese, and he’s probably right. Animals do indeed have the ability to mimic the sounds and behaviors of other species, but that doesn’t...
Brian from Edison, New Jersey, noticed that the Mid-Atlantic convenience-store chain Wawa uses a goose in its logo, and that French oie, “goose,” is pronounced much like wawa. The store’s name comes from Wawa, Pennsylvania, and wawa was already a...
Is the term “Oriental” offensive? Where do we get the phrase “not one iota”? Why do we tell someone to “take a gander”? And who coined the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?
Why do we say “take a gander” for “have a look”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Take a Gander” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Gary Whitlock in Fallbrook, California. Hi, Gary. Well...
eatout n.— «The geese are leaving what scientists call massive “eatouts,” or large, bare swaths of land that may never recover.» —“State adds spring hunting season to thin population of snow geese” by Brian T...
oyster n.— «Tuck the knife behind the ball and cut the leg free. As you cut past the socket joint, don’t forget to arc the knife around the little pocket of meat known in birds as the “oyster,” as this is the best part. The oyster is...