Ed in Florence, South Carolina, remembers that when he was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, the locals used a couple of words he’d never heard. They’d use “Ish!” as an interjection to express disgust and ishy, which describes...
Starting this year, Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants not only have to spell words correctly. A controversial new rule means they’ll have to answer vocabulary questions, too. Also, when it comes to reading text, do you prefer...
Ishpy or ishpi, used for something icky, forbidden, or not to be touched, drew responses from listeners with Scandinavian family backgrounds. Reported family variants include ishie poo, ishta, and ish, especially in Norwegian-American households...
Keep the ishpee out of your mouth. One caller’s parents used to shout “Ishpee!” when he or his siblings would try and eat dirt, marbles, or whatever they found on the floor. He wonders if this expression is unique to his family. It...
“I’ll be there at three-ish.” “That shirt is bluish.” “It wasn’t a house— but it was house-ish.” OK, but what in the world does ish mean, exactly? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
This week’s “Slang This!” contestant tries to guess the meaning of the terms liver rounds and put the bite on someone. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Put the Bite on Someone” Hi, you’re...
