The medical term sialogogic, which means “producing saliva,” comes from Greek words meaning “to bring forth saliva.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Sialogogic” A friend of mine sent me a link...
An anachronism is something that’s placed in the wrong time period, like a Roman soldier wearing Birkenstocks. But what’s the word for if someone or something is literally out of place geographically speaking? You can use the word...
Mozzarella, feta, and schnitzel all carry a relevant kitchen verb in their names. Mozzarella comes from an Italian word meaning “cut,” and feta from a Greek word with the same meaning. German schnitzel also derives from a word meaning “to cut,” the...
Books for sale, books for free, and wisdom passed down through the ages. Libraries aren’t just repositories for books — they’re often a great place to find gently used volumes for sale. Or you can always visit a “little free...
A listener in Hartford, Connecticut, is sure he’s heard a word that means “an erotic attraction to lips.” The word is cheiloproclitic, from ancient Greek words that mean “inclined toward lips.” Grant offers a couple of...
Gifts for book lovers: Martha recommends one for lovers of libraries and another for students of Spanish. Grant suggests some enchanting novels for young readers. When it comes to books, though, you can’t always judge them by their original...

