“Who is ‘she’? The cat’s mother?” A Davis, California, man remembers his mother’s indignant use of this expression, and he’s curious about the origin. This is part of a complete episode.
There’s a point when children understand just enough of their native language to be confused by homophones and metaphors. What misunderstandings do you remember? Maybe you thought cat burglars stole only cats, or that you might be swept out to...
If you’re hung over, and someone offers you a little “hair of the dog,” you can rest assured you’re not being offered a sip of something with real dog hair in it. But was that always the case? Grant has the answer, and Martha...
tuxedo n.— «Late for a dinner appointment, she cut through an alley off Belmont Road NW in Adams Morgan and was surprised to see a dozen black-and-white cats—tuxedos, as they are called.» —“Stray but Not Forgotten” by Sue...
hair on it v. phr.— «Others were critical of the offer, however, saying it wasn’t solid. “That $37 million had a lot of hair on it, a lot of paper involved,” another bidder said of it.» —“The Sale That Never Happened—In...