First-century graffiti. People in ancient times could be just as bawdy and colorful as we are today. To prove it, we found some graffiti written on the walls in the city of Pompeii, and found plenty of sex, arrogance and good old fashioned bathroom...
If you watch British police procedurals, you’ll likely come across the term to grass someone, meaning “to inform on someone” or “to rat someone out.” It’s a bit of British rhyming slang that originated with the 19th-century phrase to shop on someone...
What exactly is dope? Over time, it’s meant marijuana, heroin, steroids, butter, coffee, drugs given to racehorses, and myriad other substances affecting the recipient in some excitable way. The term didn’t come to mean marijuana until the ’40s, and...
“Only the grass dies when elephants fight.” This Liberian proverb is a reminder that it’s the powerless who suffer when governments or factions fight. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Liberian Proverb” From time to time we talk...
kiddie coke n.— «That is not to mention Ritalin—now referred to as “Kiddie Coke” on the street. A psychotropic drug prescribed to millions of children, Ritalin is today a bestselling drug.» —“Solution to World-Wide Drug Abuse Starts at Grass Roots...
cow-pooling n.— «If you prefer to keep the image of meat—say, a juicy hamburger—safely separated from the image of an actual animal—say, a 1,200-lb. castrated bull—then cow-pooling is not for you. Jean Edwards is clearly not squeamish about knowing...