Beth from Charlotte, North Carolina, says that if Beth’s hair looked messy, her grandmother would gently chide her with the phrase Your hair looks like a hoo-hoo bird in a haw-haw tree! The name hoo-hoo bird refers to an odd mythical animal...
A listener shares yet another prank played on newbies: One of the first things you learn in the Coast Guard is that rope is called line, not rope — a vocabulary lesson reinforced by officers who would send new recruits down below to fetch 100 feet...
After hanging out with San Diego sailing enthusiasts, Martha picked up several bits of slang and jargon. Catenary describes the desirable curve of an anchor chain, from Latin catena, meaning “chain.” A chain that is not pulled up...
If someone is garrulous, you might say they’re talkative. If they like to amble about, you can describe them as walkative. In fact, there’s a Walkative Society in England. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
shack farming n.— «Municipalities would be able to demolish the shack and thus continue our national effort to eradicate slums. The act also ends what is commonly called “shack farming,” which is when people invade land and...
mumblecore n.— «I think that there are a bunch of us coming up now who have many of the same influences, and the same anti-influences, i.e. some of the crummier aspects of the indie scene that we’d all like to bury. My new film...