Gradoo, also spelled as gradu, means miscellaneous dirt, sludge, grit, or other gunk you’d rather not step in. Reed in Madison, Wisconsin, grew up hearing it in Louisiana from both English and Cajun French speakers. Its origin is uncertain, but one...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a quiz called “Scronsonants.” The object is to guess two-word phrases containing a pair of words starting with the same three consonants. Here’s one: “I get a particular joy from the pain of others...
Why is that annoying stuff in your email box called spam? Grant has the answer. Here’s the Monty Python skit that inspired it. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Email Spam” I heard from Vicki in Madison, Wisconsin...
Susan, a nursing student in Madison, Wisconsin, asks why medical shorthand uses GTTS to mean “drops” or “drips,” as in medication given by drip. The abbreviation comes from Latin gutta, “drop,” with the vowels removed and an English plural -s added...
Martha shares listener email about what to call that icy buildup in your car’s wheel wells. Fenderbergs, anyone? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Fenderbergs” A while back we had a call from someone who was asking...
Is it ever okay to end a sentence with a preposition? Oh, is it ever! Martha and Grant do their best to bury this tired old proscription. It’s a baseless rule concocted by 17-century grammarians, and it’s errant nonsense up with which...
