Gary in Denton, Texas, is looking for a word for the pout that precedes a baby’s wail. The Germans have a word for that: schippchen, which means “little shovel” and refers to the shape of that wet, protruding lower lip. This is...
A family saying loose lips sink ships is a joking warning to keep a secret, not pass it on. Sharon from Omaha, Nebraska, grew up with her grandfather using it any time a confidence was at stake. The expression dates to World War II propaganda...
Choosing language that helps resolve interpersonal conflict. Sometimes a question is really just a veiled form of criticism and understanding the difference between “ask culture” and “guess culture” can help you know how to...
Have you ever offered to foster a dog or cat, but wound up adopting instead? There’s an alliterative term for that. And when you’re on the job, do niceties like “Yes, ma’am” and “No, sir” make you sound too...
A listener in Hartford, Connecticut, is sure he’s heard a word that means “an erotic attraction to lips.” The word is cheiloproclitic, from ancient Greek words that mean “inclined toward lips.” Grant offers a couple of...
A listener from Silver City, New Mexico, writes that when he was a child and pouted with his lower lip stuck out, his aunt would say “Stick that out a little farther, and I’ll write the Ten Commandments on it with a mop.” This is...