Cutting a rusty, heard in parts of the U.S. South, means acting up or doing something mildly outrageous, such as pulling a prank or shouting a naughty word. Fawn from Danville, Kentucky, learned it from a sister-in-law from Selma, Alabama. The noun...
The verb to founder applies to horses that overeat to a dangerous extent. It’s used by extension in less severe situations involving humans, such as children at a birthday party foundering on cake and ice cream. This is part of a complete...
Is there a word you keep having to look up in the dictionary, no matter how many times you’ve looked it up before? Maybe it’s time for a mnemonic device. And: a listener shares a letter from Kurt Vonnegut himself, with some reassuring...
When the crest of a rooster’s comb falls down toward their beak, they appear sad, or crestfallen. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Crestfallen” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is Kate. Hi, Kate...
Alight and come in is an old-fashioned, hospitable phrase recalling a time when a visitor who’s ridden a long way might be invited to hop off his horse and step inside for a meal. Variations include alight and look at your saddle and alight...
Why do we call that painful leg cramp a charley horse? While no good answers are out there, we did find some pretty far-fetched ones, including a story about old night watchmen known as Charlies and their broken-down horses. But the term first pops...
