One caller says his grandma’s favorite parting phrase was “See you in the wet wash!” A wet wash was an old-fashioned facility for washing — though not drying — laundry. But it’s anyone’s guess as to why someone would allude to soaked laundry when...
A caller in Hamburg, Germany, wants to know where we got the term laundry list. Grant explains that it derives from a time when people of a certain class sent their laundry out to be cleaned. It’s usually associated with a collection of things that...
A Canadian listener’s boyfriend has a special talent. He can remove his socks, roll them up, and throw them across the room into the laundry basket, all with his toes. She says he has toe dexterity, but wonders if the word dexterous can apply to...
mud-out n.— «“I trained with the CBA to get certified in what’s called “mud-out” and went from there,” he said. Mud-out is the process of removing carpets, drywall and other non-salvageable parts of homes damaged by water.» —“Baptists to do laundry...
Peter Pan housing n.— «Philadelphia is full of Peter Pan Housing—housing for people that never grow old. You’ve got living area and kitchen on first floor, bed and bath on second floor, laundry in basement (if you’re lucky enough to have it in your...
snout house n.— «Bored with mere breezeways that connected detached garages to houses, homeowners sought to bridge the distance with direct access to kitchens, laundry centers and dens. Garages doubled, even tripled in size to accommodate second...