The internet abounds with memes. Grant explains that this word was coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. More about them at Know Your Meme. This is part of a complete episode.
If English isn’t your first language, there are lots of ways to learn it, such as memorizing Barack Obama’s speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention. Martha and Grant talk about some of the unusual ways foreigners are learning to speak...
Humorist Roy Blount Jr. sits down with Grant for a conversation about the controversy over writers’ rights, the Amazon Kindle 2, Roy’s recent book, Alphabet Juice, “sonicky” words, and noodling for catfish. He also clears up...
“He’s sharp as the corner of a round table.” “She’s so sad she’s pulling a face as long as a fiddle.” If startling similes leaving you “grinning like a basket full of possum heads,” you’ll...
stabbity n.— «“If you get into hand-to-hand combat,” said the sergeant, tying a carrot on to the end of the broomstick, “just poke the enemy with this and say ‘Stabbity, stabbity, stab!’”» —“Re: “a Million...
butthurt adj.—Gloss: angry, indignant, offended, or outraged. Note: Dates to at least as early as 1996. «Oh my. dont get so butthurt…i cant even remember what i wrote.» —“Re: Writers With Half A Brain” by...