Ever eaten golden catheads for breakfast? Yum! A listener shares this Southern term for big, fluffy biscuits. Also, how did people greet each other before “hello” became a standard greeting of choice? What does it mean if someone’s...
Howdy, all -- Lots of new episodes heading your way, starting this weekend! Meanwhile, our most recent broadcast features idiosyncratic Scrabble rules, 800-lb. gorillas, "tickety-boo," the slang term "legit," and...
What do you say when you answer the telephone? On the NPR science blog, “Krulwich Wonders,” Robert Krulwich notes that hello did not become a standard greeting until the Edison Company recommended the word as a proper phone greeting...
Greetings, word watchers! In this week's episode, we talk about "making money hand over fist," "don't take any wooden nickels," "peter out," "thrice-happy pair," colorful idioms from around the...
Rabbit, rabbit! In this week’s archive episode: What’s in a pet’s name? Also, stump-jumpers, snicklefritzes, and the last word in the dictionary. Is it “zyzzyva” or “zyxt”? Suffonsify yourself here: A caller...
Howdy! In our latest episode, we discuss why “he’s seen the elephant” means “he’s been in combat.” Also, a look at idioms, like the Spanish one that translates as “your bowtie is whistling.” And what...