Grant shares a bit of military humor related to cumshaw, the art of procuring what you need in ingenious ways: “There is only one thief in the army. Everyone else is just trying to get their stuff back.” This is part of a complete...
Jamie in Jacksonville, Florida, called himself a card, meaning funny or quick-witted, and his 19-year-old roommate wondered whether that meant a credit card or debit card. The expression likely grew out of playing-card metaphors such as sure card...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski borrows a classic word game from Joseph Shipley called Twin Ends. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Twin Ends Word Game” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette. And...
A Marine stationed in California says that growing up in North Carolina, he understood the expression fixin’ to or fixing to to mean “to be about to.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Fixin’ To”...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s Blank My Blank puzzle asks for common phrases with my in the middle. Each answer fits a sentence ending blank my blank, and each follows the pattern verb + my + noun. Clues point to a poker challenge, a first state dinner, a...
A West Point graduate says he and fellow members of the military use the expression He has seen the elephant to mean “He’s seen combat.” Grant explains that this expression originated outside the military. This is part of a...