The term elbow clerk, encountered at a conference of judges and lawyers, refers to a clerk who works directly in a judge’s chambers, right at the judge’s elbow. It suggests an all-purpose helper who is always on hand, though the phrase also invites...
As the 19th-century British jurist Charles Darling observed: “A timid question will always receive a confident answer.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Timid Question” Here’s a quotation I like from...
Attorneys use the terms minders, grinders, and finders to refer to different roles in a law firm. Finders get the business, grinders do the business, and minders keep the business. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Minders...
We say rush the growler to mean “go fetch the booze” because, back in the 1880s, people got around the new liquor laws by sending kids scurrying down to the bar with an empty growler in hand to fill up. Variations of this include chase...
First names like “Patience,” “Hope,” and “Charity” are inspired by worthy qualities. But how about “Be-courteous” or “Hate-evil”? The Puritans sometimes gave children such names hoping that...
What’s the difference between a mosquito and a lawyer? One’s a bloodsucking parasite, and the other’s an insect. This bait-and-switch joke, like many good paraprosdokians, get their humor by going contrary to our expectations. This...
