Claire from Wilmington, North Carolina, wants to know the origin of the phrase “sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.” She heard a story she heard about the saying having to tightening ropes that support mattresses, which is not the origin...
Unfortunately, one word of the year candidate for 2016 is Zika, the name of the mosquito-borne virus linked to devastating birth defects. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Zika” Another word of the year candidate is Zika. We have to...
A Turkish proverb about listening and paying attention: To one who understands, a mosquito is a lute. To one who does not understand, a drum and zurna are little. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Turkish Proverb for Listening” I...
Turn the music down, it doesn’t need to be on boydog! Have you heard this synonym for “the highest level”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Music on Boydog” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, Martha. This is Kate. How are you...
The robin may be the official State Bird of Wisconsin, but a listener from the Badger State shares a limerick about the unofficial state bird: the mosquito. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Mosquito Limerick” You’re listening to A...
What’s the difference between a mosquito and a lawyer? One’s a bloodsucking parasite, and the other’s an insect. This bait-and-switch joke, like many good paraprosdokians, get their humor by going contrary to our expectations. This is part of a...