Fernando in San Antonio, Texas, is curious about the use of the term holiday to mean a space on a wall that’s been covered unevenly and requires repainting. This usage goes back to the shipbuilding industry of the 1700s, when workers tarring...
A kid’s misunderstanding of the word Pentecost leads to a family celebrating the religious holiday of Polka Dots. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pentacost Polka Dots” We love talking about words that kids say...
Holiday is an old word for a missed spot while painting or wiping a surface. Kelly from Dallas, Texas, learned it from her father, a 28-year Navy veteran, who would point to a skipped patch on the wall and say, “You’ve got a holiday up there.” The...
If you’re sending out party invitations, what’s a sure-fire way to get hold of everyone? Email? Snailmail? Facebook? Texting? Twitter? Or a plain old-fashioned phone call? Different folks have different communication preferences, and...
For this year’s holiday book recommendations, Grant goes with his son’s current favorite, Valley Cats by Gretchen Preston, while Martha enthusiastically recommends Quack This Way, a transcribed conversation about writing and language...
Jeff in Dallas noticed that an early English pre-printed Christmas card read Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. It points to a broader history of merry. In 1800s American English, merry was common for exuberant, joyful pleasure, and it is cognate...