In Italian, a giacca civetta, or “owl jacket,” is a slang term for a jacket left on the back of an office chair to create the illusion that someone is still at their desk while they are actually out. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
A listener reports that when his Kentucky-born grandmother heard anyone say Who, me? she’d respond Your feet don’t fit a limb. It’s a pun on the sound an owl makes. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Your Feet Don’t Fit a Limb” We...
John in Frisco, Texas, is puzzled by his dad’s phrase tougher than a boiled owl. Although it sounds unappetizing, the phrase has a fascinating backstory. In the 18th century, owls were associated with drunkenness, and often invoked in the phrase...
Twitter user @crookedroads770 observed that his two-year-old son referred to an owl as a wood penguin. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Wood Penguin” I loved this tweet from someone whose handle is CrookedRoads770. He wrote, I...
The term like a tree full of owls describes someone’s appearance. What does it mean, exactly? And why owls? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Tree Full of Owls” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Sonia Goddekin. I’m...
