Inspired by Noah Webster’s spelling reform, Quiz Guy John Chaneski came up with a puzzle that involves removing the letter U from one word to form another. For example, what two words are clued by the following statement? “I used to live in a...
Slang lovers, rejoice! Parts of Green’s Dictionary of Slang are being posted online, including an impressive timeline tracking slang involving alcohol. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Green’s Dictionary of Slang Online” You’re...
What does the expression egg on have to do with chickens? Nothing, actually. Martha explains why, and tells the story of how the term curate’s egg came to mean “something with both good and bad characteristics.”
callback n.— «He ends nearly every chapter with a surprising figurative twist on something he said earlier, like what comedians refer to as a “callback.”» —“Inventing English: A Portable History Of The Language By Seth Lerer” by James Campbell...