Tommy in Lexington, Kentucky, reports that when he was serving in the U.S. military in Vietnam he heard the expression Mox nix, meaning “I don’t care” or “It doesn’t matter.” It’s a version of a German es Macht nichts, or “It’s nothing.” This is...
What do you call a long sandwich filled with lots of ingredients? Whether you call it a sub, a hoagie, a grinder, or something else entirely depends on where you’re from. And: Martha’s visit to an Alaskan reindeer ranch reveals why you...
Alex in Lexington, Kentucky, is curious about the term sidesaddle gift. It denotes a gift that the giver ends up using at least as much as the recipient does, such as a luggage rack that a frequent guest gives to their host family. The term...
war baby n.— «As predicted, hemp proved little more than a “war baby,” a term for an industry wholly dependent on the peculiar economics of wartime. The Lexington mill closed in 1945.» —“Hemp once grown around Lexington to support...
wrap-around adj.— «I discovered another term for network airing of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments Friday morning: wrap-around coverage. Rather than focus on a single game, ESPN will switch among several games while...
stand-up overnight n.— «Sickler said he typically flies four or five legs a day, frequently works 12-hour days and spends four or five days every week in a hotel. He said a quarter of his shifts are what the airline industry calls...