Claudia in Cherryville, North Carolina, grew up hearing her grandmother call those spring-yellow flowers jonquils, not daffodils. In botanical terms, daffodil is the broader common name for flowers in the genus Narcissus, while a jonquil is one...
Have you ever offered to foster a dog or cat, but wound up adopting instead? There’s an alliterative term for that. And when you’re on the job, do niceties like “Yes, ma’am” and “No, sir” make you sound too formal? Not if it comes naturally. And...
Sneaky contract lingo, advice for writing well, and preserving a dying language. Say you’re scrolling through an online transaction where you’re asked to read the “Terms and Conditions.” Do you actually read them or just check the box and move on...
Johnny or johnny gown, meaning hospital gown, is a term most associated with New England. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Johnny Gown” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Marianne calling from Jackson, Wyoming. Marianne...
If you’ve ever had the experience of casting a dream film or TV episode in your head—say, putting Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller, both of whom play Sherlock Holmes on TV, in the same show together—that imaginary scenario comes from your...
Gloria in Indianapolis wondered whether johnny-on-the-spot praises a helpful person or means a porta-potty after her sisters split over the phrase during a group photo. Both readings can collide. Johnny-on-the-spot, a helpful fellow who appears just...