Amir from Chicago, Illinois, grew up hearing the word brolic, meaning “extremely muscular, physically imposing,” from his father, who grew up in the Farragut Projects in Brooklyn. The word has clear New York City roots, with an early notable...
In the early 16th century, the word bully was a term of endearment, probably stemming from Dutch boel, meaning “lover.” Shakespeare used bully to mean “a fine fellow” or “good chap.” When President Theodore Roosevelt referred to the presidency as a...
Carl Sandburg once observed, “The woman who’ll kiss and tell is small as the little end of nothing.” He meant she lacked character, although the phrase the little end of nothing and variations of have long been used to mean something that’s...
Have you heard chick used as a verb? Runners and triathletes use it to refer to a female passing a male in a race, as in You just got chicked! This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Chick Verb” I recently came across the word chick as a...
playoff beard n.— «Legend has it the playoff beard has been wooing woman since the late 1970’s. It’s simple; grow a beard during hockey playoffs and don’t shave it until you get the cup. “It’s all about a little competition of who can grow a better...