After inadvertently maligning marmots in an earlier discussion of the term “whistle pig,” Martha makes a formal apology to any marmots that might be listening. This is part of a complete episode.
When they happen to say the same word at the very same time, many children play a version of the jinx game that ends with the declaration, “You owe me a Coke!” Martha shares an old version from the Ozarks that ends with a different line:...
For the book lovers on your gift list, Martha recommends, Library: An Unquiet History, by Matthew Battles. For younger readers, Grant suggests C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series, starting with The Magician’s Nephew. For adults who loved...
Every time Martha tries naming all 26 letters in the alphabet, she only comes up with 25. But she can’t remember Y. This is part of a complete episode.
Sharing a secret language. Did you ever speak in gibberish with a childhood pal, adding extra syllables to words so the adults couldn’t understand what you were saying? Such wordplay isn’t just for kids—and it’s not just limited to...
Ineluctable, meaning inescapable, is one of those words Martha has to look up in the dictionary every time she sees it. But noting its Latin origin, luctari, meaning “to struggle,” and therefore related to reluctant, will help. This is...