An opera singer from Ontario, Canada, just finished a run of La Faniculla del West with the Virginia Opera. His character is put to death by hanging. Is it correct to say his character was hanged? Or was his character hung? This is part of a...
A listener remembers her mother used to say, “Your Monday is longer than your Tuesday.” This phrase offered a subtle way to notify someone that her slip was showing. Other expressions convey that warning as well, including “Monday...
Someone who paints a negative or pessimistic picture is said to be hanging crepe. Martha has the origin. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Hanging Crepe” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Suzanne from Dallas...
Fess up: do you have a pet name for your car? How about your computer? Martha and Grant discuss the urge to give nicknames to inanimate objects in our lives. Also, why do we speak of vetting a political candidate? And what in the world is a zoo...
shoefiti n.— «Welcome to Shoefiti.com. This site will attempt to be the #1 resource on the web for dealing with shoes hanging from powerlines.» —“Welcome to Shoefiti.com” by Ed Kohler Shoefiti Sept. 13, 2005...
dome shot n.— «Alicia yelled, “Free dome shots,” a euphemism for oral sex.» —“The Endless Night: Hanging Out in Cars With Boys, and Girls” by Corey Kilgannon in Wantagh, N.Y. New York Times Aug...