“I literally exploded with rage!” Using the word literally in this way grates on many a stickler’s ear. Moreover, if it’s okay to use the word “literally” figuratively, then what do you say when you actually do...
Here's another newsletter from A Way with Words! Who calls baby platypuses "puggles"? Who calls a playground slide a "sliding pond"? Who calls dust bunnies "slut's wool"? You can find out on the brand-new...
Greetings, oh esteemed listeners. This is another newsletter from A Way with Words. On the air this past weekend, we talked a bit about giving nicknames to inanimate objects, druthers, Hispanic vs. Latino, stingaree, and people who can't quite...
There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world today, and by some estimates, they’re dying off at the rate of one every week. What’s lost when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and efforts to record some endangered...
le sigh n. an exaggerated interjection indicating frustration, resignation, yearning, weariness, etc. Editorial Note: Usually written, not spoken. Etymological Note: Usually attributed to the amorous French cartoon skunk Pepe Le Peu in the Looney...
mutt v.— «The women get to fuck our guys while their husbands watch, and we get to fuck rich white women, really mutt ‘em out.» —“Meet the Mandingos” by Sanjiv Bhattacharya Details Blog Mar. 16, 2007. (source:...