Patrick in Muncie, Indiana, is fond of jojo potatoes, those delicious deep-fried, seasoned wedges also known as Jo-Jos, and wonders how they got that name. Fortunately, researcher Barry Popik has the scoop. This is part of a complete episode.
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...
Eric from West Lafayette, Indiana, wonders which phrase is correct when referring to “making the grade” or “meeting expectations”: Is it cut the mustard or cut the muster? It’s the former, a reference to the strong...
One secret to writing well is … there is no secret! There’s no substitute for simply sitting down day after day to practice the craft and learn from your mistakes. Plus, childhood mixups around word definitions can lead to some funny stories...
You may have a favorite word in English, but what about your favorite in another language? The Spanish term ojalá is especially handy for expressing hopefulness and derives from Arabic for “God willing.” In Trinidad, if you want to ask...
Trevlac, Indiana is named after a family called Calvert. Since there was already a stop on the same rail line called Calvert, they simply spelled their name backwards. This is part of a complete episode.