Keisha from Lafayette, Louisiana, grew up speaking Cajun French in Acadiana and was struck anew by honte, used for acute embarrassment or shame—as in someone feeling deeply honte after an awkward public mishap. It’s not the English haunt and has...
“Well, Butter My Buns and call me a biscuit!” Martha and Grant talk about great catch phrases from old-time radio comedies. Also, why do we speak of a meteoric rise? Don’t meteors plummet? What do you keep in a Fibber McGee drawer...
News reports that the makers of Scrabble were changing the rules to allow proper names left some purists fuming. The rumors were false, but they got Grant thinking about idiosyncratic adaptations of the game’s rules. Also this week, the...
suicide smock n.— «A year-and-a-half-ago, Grove tried to kill himself, according to court documents. For that reason, the Boulder County Jail has placed him on suicide watch, and in his mug shot—the one with his hair standing wildly on...
torch party n.— «The “torch party,” an advance crew that departs early to set up camp, was the lead element going to the Middle East, said Dusty Shenofsky, spokeswoman for the Louisiana National Guard.…“They were from a...
cup-cake v.— «In its last season before joining Big Ten hoops, Penn State is cup-caking it with UMBC, Morgan, Drexel, Miami (O), Buffalo, Lafayette, Cleveland State, Columbia, Toledo, etc. How would you like to be in charge of selling...