Melissa from New Orleans, Louisiana, found herself catching flak after suggesting at Thanksgiving dinner that her family say what they were grateful for. The word traces to German anti-aircraft guns, Fliegerabwehrkanone, literally “pilot-warding-off...
Mary in The Dalles, Oregon, wonders why some speakers pronounce this, that, them, there, and those as dis, dat, dem, dere, and dose. That voiced th sound is often realized as d in New York City, Philadelphia, around the Great Lakes (especially...
Of all the Cajun slang we’ve heard, “I’m gonna unclimb this derrick and give you your satisfy” is among the best of it. Cajun speech is unique for having retained elements of French syntax that even French-speaking Canada...
How did the word gay go from meaning lighthearted to homosexual? Also, why are elementary schools sometimes called grammar schools? Plus, imeldific, gone pecan, random Scrabble words, and the difference between borrow and lend. And the etiquette of...
If someone’s gone pecan, they’re doomed, defeated, and down on their luck. This idiom, common in New Orleans, probably caught on because of its rhyme. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Gone Pecan, A Southern...
If something’s right on the tee na na, it’s just perfect. This phrase from New Orleans has popped up in myriad songs from the region. One interview with the musician Dr. John suggests that tee na na refers to the rear end, or tuchis...
