The catchphrase Good stuff, Maynard! Comes from a series of TV commercials for Malt-O-Meal hot cereal that aired during the early 1980s and featured a little boy and his imaginary friend Maynard. Some folks still use this phrase today when enthusing...
“Time to get kip” means “time to get some sleep.” Kip goes all the way back to an old Dutch word that means “brothel.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Kip Means Sleep” Hi, who’s calling? This is Mark, a wrap of staff that’s...
Who is she from home? meaning “What’s her maiden name?” is a construction common in communities with significant Polish heritage. It’s what linguists call a calque — a word or phrase from another language translated literally into another. From home...
Speaking of eponymous laws, do you know what Cole’s Law is? (Hint: You might order it as a side dish with your fish and fries.) This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Cole’s Law” Grant, I bet you haven’t heard of this eponymous law...
All writers should heed the advice of Stephen King: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Stephen King Quote for Writers” I’ve got some writing advice...
The Oxford comma is the comma before the final item in a list, which led Gabrielle’s third grader to a fine question: if Oxford is a famous school in England, is the comma its mascot? Oxford University doesn’t really have one, but the family’s...
