Why do we call a frankfurter a hot dog? It seems an unsettling 19th-century rumor is to blame. Also, if someone quits something abruptly, why do we say they quit cold turkey? This term’s roots may lie in the history of boxing. Plus, a...
The cloth case for a pillow is variously known as a pillowcase, a pillow slip, or a pillow cover. This is part of a complete episode.
Why are the names of cars so unimaginative? Grant argues that auto manufacturers might take inspiration from ornithology to build a better car name. (Then again, would you be any less aggravated if you were rear-ended by a lazuli bunting?) Also this...
Chicken bog isn’t a bird name, nor is it a place. It’s a dish of rice, chicken, country sausage, and lots of black pepper, found primarily in the Southeast. It sometimes goes by the name chicken perlow or pillow or pilau. A South...
pillow driver n.— «The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says there are at least 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria. If they seek work, they will lose their status as refugees. Iraqi refugees who were once doctors...
pillow line n.— «For most of the run, the camera is completely covered in snow as Douglas expertly launches from knoll to knoll. These knolls are called “pillow lines”—massive rocks that are covered with a ton of snow...