When somebody sneezes, we say bless you or gesundheit. But suppose that person coughs. Are you supposed to say something — or are they? Plus, Mexican standoffs, gracious plenty, linguistic false friends, southpaw vs. northpaw, the slang of rabbit...
When award winners say I’m humbled, Ann from Burlington, Vermont, hears a mismatch: winning seems like a moment to feel honored, not brought low. The phrase can sound disingenuous if it calls attention to the prize, but it can also be apt when the...