In 1803, a shy British pharmacist wrote a pamphlet that made him a reluctant celebrity. The reason? He proposed a revolutionary new system for classifying clouds — with Latin names we still use today, like cumulus, cirrus, and stratus. Also: when...
A clever pun can make the difference between a so-so phrase and a memorable one. The phrase “the last straw” refers to an old fable about too many items in a load, but it takes on a whole new meaning in a public-awareness campaign about...
Tracy in northern Idaho writes that her young son refers to egg nog as chicken milk. This is part of a complete episode.
The state of Idaho has a large community of Basque speakers. Their native tongue is what’s known as a language isolate, meaning one that is not historically connected to those around it. This is part of a complete episode.
downwinder n.— «Nuclear testing in Nevada during the 1950s and 1960s released radiation into the atmosphere that settled in states far away from the original test site. Researchers determined that certain elements of this fallout, such as...
jacket fries n.pl.— «They’re what some restaurants call “jacket fries”: oblong slices of fried skin-on Idaho potato. Crisp at the edges but thick enough to be fluffy in the middle, they’re a lovely hybrid of chip and french...