Victoria from Dallas, Texas, asks whether kibitz means “to joke,” “to chat,” or “to offer advice from the sidelines.” All three senses appear in English influenced by Yiddish, where the word has ranged from casual talk to wisecracking to meddlesome...
The Spanish version of being a “fifth wheel” on a date is “toca el violin,” which translates to being the one who plays the violin, as in, they provide the background music. In German, there’s a version that translates...
The idiom “kick the bucket,” meaning to die, does not originate from the concept of kicking a bucket out from under one’s feet. It has to do with an older meaning of bucket that refers to the wooden beam often found in a barn roof...
Ever try to write a well-known passage in limerick form? It’s harder than you think. How about this one: “There once was a lady who’s sure / All that glitters is golden and pure/ There’s a stairway that heads up to heaven...
Bonspiel is a word for a curling match, and derives from the Dutch term spiel, meaning “game.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Etymology of Bonspiel” Grant, I did not know until yesterday what a Bonspiel is...
The German idiom, “Ich bin fast im Dreieck gesprungen!” is a way of indicating that you’re outraged. Literally, though, it means “I almost jumped in triangles.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
