We have collective nouns for animals, like “a gaggle of geese,” “a pride of lions,” and “an exaltation of larks.” So why not collective nouns for plants? How about a “greasing of palms,” or a...
A father of two small children says his Indiana family referred to a child’s runny nose as a “lamb’s legs,” as in “We need to wipe the lamb’s legs off.” This is part of a complete episode.
1661 n.— «I’ve always detested the expression “mutton dressed as lamb.” It’s misogynist, mean and women are not meat; even Sam Kekovich would concur with that. But there’s a new version of it that describes women who retain...
purp n.— «Gov. Andrews related a Texan practice in training dogs with sheep. “A purp is taken from its mother before its eyes are opened and put with an ewe to suckle. After a few times the ewe becomes reconciled to the pup which...
slime-grafting n.— «The only foolproof technique we know of is called hide-grafting, which incorporates another procedure known as slime-grafting. The combined practice entails confining the ewe in a hurdle, then skinning her dead lamb...
goat grab n. at gatherings or celebrations in the Middle East, a communal self-served meal of meat and vegetables eaten with the hands. Editorial Note: This term is used informally by Anglophones not native to the culture. The food eaten in a goat...