Bethany in Ithaca, New York, wants a word that sums up a way she’s feeling lately: being desperately lonely, but also reveling in her solitude. She’s toying with her own coinage based on Greek and Latin roots having to do with...
Ever drop a reference that just makes you sound, well, of a certain age? Grant and Martha discuss language that’s lost on other generations. Why is the entree the main course? Shouldn’t it come first? And why is the letter k silent in...
Grant and Martha share some more terms that make a person sound old-fashioned these days. Ever get a blank stare when you mention the icebox? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “More Old-Fashioned Language” Here are more...
smokepole n.— «Sighting in my muzzleloader the other day at Oakdale Gun Club, I was one of a half-dozen or so shooters blowing charges through “smokepoles,” as muzzleloaders are often called.» —“‘Modern’ muzzleloader...
Belsnickle n.— «“Belsnickle,” a word meaning “Good St. Nicholas,” is a term used for a figure of Santa Claus holding a tree or branch in his folded arms. Santa is usually not smiling on a belsnickle, and the branch was...
Uncle Dupey n.— «Many newcomers to Delaware work for what’s now the state’s main source of employment, credit card banks. Old-school Delawareans are more likely to have roots in the chemical industry, long dominated by the DuPont Co...