ontin n.— «But he also likes to come up with new words to describe cultural patterns, acknowledging that at breakfast he invented a new word—ontin, meaning the ostensible usage of something—which he has already used a few times to much...
Like mushrooms in fallen leaves, new words keep popping up overnight. Also, is there an English word that means “the in-laws of your son or daughter“? And what does it mean when someone says, “Well, that was odder than Dick’s...
Hi-ho! Here's another newsletter from A Way with Words. Over the weekend listeners coast-to-coast got an earful about "druthers," "to vet," "stingaree," "beck and call" and more. Catch up here:...
Hockey mom, mavericky, snow machines, and—how could we forget that other memorable phrase from the 2008 presidential campaign?—lipstick on a pig. Some new and not-so-new terms leapt onto the national stage during Gov. Sarah Palin‘s run for the...
Say! Fellas and gals, here's another newsletter from A Way with Words. This past weekend we reran a crowd-pleasing episode from earlier this year, in which we discussed "suicide sodas," how to politely tell someone her slip is...
have-yacht n.— «Yacht is seen as another luxury after big houses and big-brand cars, with new words even coined for the City of London—the “have-yacht” and “have-nots.”» —“ Yacht sales to mirror UK...