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...
What kind of book do people ask for most often in prison? Romance novels? No. The Bible? No. The most requested books by far are … dictionaries! A number of volunteer organizations gather and distribute used dictionaries to help inmates with...
Jackie is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, but discovered when she moved to Chesapeake, Virginia, that people in her new hometown were puzzled by her use of pony keg to mean “convenience store.” It’s a term that’s closely...
Kathy from Huntsville, Alabama, remembers that her father would entice guests to stay awhile longer with the puzzling phrase We’re fixing to open up a keg of nails. Actually, the keg of nails in this case is a jocular euphemism referencing a...
shotgun start n.— «After the mandatory pit stop, teams set out for the next keg in their sequence. In golf parlance, a shotgun start is used, meaning everyone begins at a different point.» —“Crossage players claim streets in 500-year...
party ball n. a five-gallon container of beer, one-third the size of a keg (in the U.S.). Editorial Note: According to numerous articles in the Washington Post, Party Ball was also the now outdated product name for “a lightweight plastic...