“He’s been sick three days hand-running.” Huh? In some parts of the country, “hand running” means “in succession, consecutively.” The hosts muse about the possible origins of this phrase. This is part of a...
If you want to claim something—say, the front seat of a car or the last piece of cake—what do you say? Dibs? Boney? How about “I hosey that!”? The hosts talk about this New England expression, its possible origins, and its equivalent in...
In an earlier episode, we discussed the slang term sketchy, meaning “creepy” or “alarming” or “suspicious.” Grant shares an email from a listener suggesting a link to the world of amphetamine users. This is part...
Big Apple n. New York City. Editorial Note: Although there are many claims about the origin of “The Big Apple” as a nickname for New York City, each of the others lacks crucial supporting evidence or is demonstrably false. Among...