Margaret from Huntsville, Alabama, says her mother used to tell her to hurry up by saying to get something done with a burning needle and a hot thread. The more common expression is with a hot needle and burning thread, meaning to do something...
Following up on our conversation about anadromes, those words that form another word when spelled in reverse, two more examples: Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, who is named for his father Ramon, and a woman called Eldeen, a name...
Our discussion about pangrams, those sentences that include every letter of the alphabet at least once, inspired a sharp listener to send us this one: How skillfully my acupuncturist jabs a needle into quivering flesh, exacting a zing! This is part...