To grok something means “to understand it completely.” The word grok comes from a language spoken on the planet Mars—well, at least according to the science fiction writer who coined the term! Also, we know the meaning of the word trauma, but is...
Michelle in Williamsburg, Virginia, wonders about the origin of alley-oop!, which she says when hoisting her toddler. It’s from French allez, the imperative of aller meaning “to go” and houp or hop, an onomatopoeic utterance made while expending...
alli-oops n.— «s a result of a nationwide campaign to sell GSK’s new weight-loss drug Alli, (AKA Orlistat, AKA Xenical), it quickly became the fastest selling over-the-counter weight-loss medication. […] But don’t let the scare mongers put you off...
Death of the Typewriter Ding! In this week’s episode, Mark Twain would be pleased. Reports that it’s the end of the line for the typewriter have been greatly exaggerated. Well, slightly anyway: it’s not the horseless carriage return yet. Martha and...
A caller wonders if the acrobatic “alley-oop” in basketball is connected with the V.T. Hamlin comic strip, “Alley Oop.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Alley-Oop” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Sabrina from...