This week, it’s backhanded phrases, those snarky remarks that come sugar-coated in politeness, like “How nice for you,” “Oh, interesting!,” and the mother of all thinly veiled criticism, “Bless her heart.”...
A man who works nights in a mortuary in Brookings, Oregon is curious about the origin of—what else?—graveyard shift. This is part of a complete episode.
banky n.— «Shad aren’t native to the Pacific Coast. They were introduced into the Sacramento River in the 1800s and spread north into the Umpqua, then Columbia river systems. At Oregon City, they collect in the swift water below the falls...
peer streaming n.— «Skelly asked board members for guidance on how the district should approach those tradeoffs, particularly regarding young students having to cross Oregon and the issue of “peer streaming,” the term for...
charticle n.— «Well, here’s an equation that editors and designers in newsrooms ranging from small dailies in Oregon to major metros in Florida are increasingly turning to: Chart + article = charticle.…Charticles—as defined by Omaha...
fly signs v. phr.— «He said he’s been arrested several times for “flying signs,” street lingo for panhandling on a street corner, and for theft of food and hygiene items at a Roth’s store.» —“Street kids and authority...