Calisa in Wilmington, North Carolina, wonders about the origin of the term fair to middling, meaning “about average.” It derives from an old system of classifying agricultural products. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Ever heard a school bus called a school hack? Grant and Martha explain the etymology of hack, beginning with hackney horses in England, then referring to the drivers of the horse-drawn carriages, then the carriages themselves, and finally the...
A cowboy loves a ranch that’s pecorous, meaning abundant with cattle. Just something worth knowing. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of ““Pecorous” Means Abundant with Cattle” If you ever need a word meaning abundant with...
sleeper n.— «Other mystery words I found while perusing my great-grandfather’s papers were “orehano” and “sleeper.” “I haven’t seen any of Wise’s men lately and I have been helping myself to some of his Orehanos and have...
belly wadding n.— «In the cowboy movies we often see cow punchers and gunfighters pull out what appears to be a short strip of leather and chew away on it—somewhat of a substitute for ribs and beans when they were on the trail or when...
Buckaroo is an English word adapted from the Spanish word vaquero, meaning “cowboy.” Is there a specific term for the linguistic process whereby such words are adapted into English? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...