A young woman who works as a nanny wants to know why the term charge is used to refer to the youngsters she cares for. Charge goes back to a Latin root meaning, “to carry,” and it essentially has to do with being responsible for something difficult...
Why call it a doggy bag when it’s really for your husband? Grant and Martha talk about the language of leftovers and why we eat beef and not cow. And how old is the typical public-library patron? Plus, in Afghanistan, proverbs are part of everyday...
Here’s an Afghan proverb about honesty: “A tilted load won’t reach its destination.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “A Tilted Load Proverb” Grant, here’s another proverb from Afghanistan. A tilted load won’t reach its destination...
landing gear v. phr.— «He plugs the air line, emergency line and electrical cables from the cab to the trailer, cranks up the “landing gear” that keeps the trailer moored to the ground, rechecks tags to make sure he’s got the right load, locks the...
Few are the words whose origins we know for certain, but "bunk" is one of them. From the mountains of North Carolina to the halls of Congress to everyday language, Martha scoops the skinny in the latest online-only podcast: Find a reason...
Few are the words whose origins we know for certain, but “bunk” is one of them. From the mountains of North Carolina to the halls of Congress to everyday language, Martha scoops the skinny. Transcript of “What A Load of Bunk! (minicast)” Welcome to...
