Decisions by dictionary editors, wacky wordplay, and Walt Whitman’s soaring verse. How do lexicographers decide which historical figures deserve a mention or perhaps even an illustration in the dictionary? The answer changes with the times. •...
Herb in Greenfield, Massachusetts, learned French as a child and wondered why à la mode, meaning “in the fashion,” came to mean ice cream on pie. The phrase comes through French from the Latin modus, “manner, fashion, or style,” and English cooks...
Books for sale, books for free, and wisdom passed down through the ages. Libraries aren’t just repositories for books — they’re often a great place to find gently used volumes for sale. Or you can always visit a “little free...
If you think stargazy pie sounds romantic, you’d better be charmed by egg-and-potato pie with fish heads sticking out of it. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Stargazy Pie” You know, Grant, I could have gone a...
On March 14, or 3/14, fans of both dessert and decimals come together to celebrate Pi Day. This year, though, it’s not enough to call it at 3/14, because it’s 3/14/15, and at 9:26 and 53 seconds, the first ten digits of pi will all be...
If you’re on tenterhooks, it means you’re in a state of anxious anticipation or suspense. But what IS a tenterhook? The answer goes back to a 15th-century manufacturing process. Also, you probably have a term for those crumbs that...