What’s the origin of the warning phrase down goes your shanty!? This bit of menacing slang pops up in letters written by Civil War soldiers. One wrote, “If I ever get a chance to draw sight on a rebel, down goes his shanty.” It has...
If something’s larrupin’ good, it’s spankin’ good or thumpin’ good. It comes from the word larrup, a verb meaning “to beat or thrash.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
In Texas, the California stop is also known as an Okie yield sign, an Okie crash sign, and a taxpayer stop. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “More Names for Rolling Stops” A couple more examples of what they call rolling...
A Texas listener says his family often describes a great meal as larrupin’. What does that mean, exactly? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Larrupin'” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Mark...
What does it mean to have your tail over the dashboard? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Tail Over the Dashboard” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Kathleen Elberson, and I’m calling from Grayson...
knobology n.— «Students take readily to the computerized training. Byron Hull, who manages training for the Air Route Traffic Control Centers, refers to the computer savvy of the new recruits as “knobology,” a neologism that describes the...