Ashley in Tallahassee, Florida, says some friends find it odd that she refers to her husband as Dad even when their daughter isn’t around. Is it weird to address your spouse that way? In some cultures, parents are addressed differently after their...
According to vetstreet.com, the top ten female puppy names from 2012 include Bella, Daisy, Lucy, Molly, and Lola. Notice anything odd? They’re all human names! Gone are the days of pets named Fluffy and Pooch. In are the days of human children named...
What pet names do you have for your loved ones? In The Joys of Yiddish, Leo Rosten shares the name his Mother used to call him — bubala, a term of endearment grandmothers might use in addressing children. We have all kinds of substitutes for the...
What’s in a pet’s name? Martha and Grant swap stories about how they came up with names for their dogs. Also this week: Have you ever been called a stump-jumper? How about a snicklefritz? And what’s the last word in the dictionary? Depending on...
Martha shares a listener’s email about a pet’s name changing over time. In this case, it’s a cat whose name morphed from “Orange Juice” all the way to “Lanny.” Martha traces the con-cat-enation of monikers. This is part of a complete episode...
bagel n.— «Burak’s dog Memphis, a beagle-basset hound cross (or a bagel, as they are called) and for whom the store is named—drags a blanket in his mouth on the hardwood floor.» —“James North comes in from the cold” by Jon Wells Hamilton...

