We spoke on the show not long ago about how the phrase to keep something at bay derives from hunting. A listener wrote in with an evocative description of its origin, referring specifically to that period when cornered prey is able to keep predators...
It used to be that you called any mixed-breed dog a mutt. But at today’s dog parks, you’re just as likely to run into schnugs, bassadors, and dalmadoodles. Also, if someone has a suntan, you might say he’s brown as a berry. But...
moneymoon n.— «Don’t fall prey to the “moneymoon”; just because you paid for something doesn’t mean it’s automatically worthwhile.» —“9 Ways Marketing Weasels Will Try to Manipulate You” by Jeff...
BARF n.— «Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst didn’t name his raw diet after puppy puke. The name “BARF,” which stands for “bones and raw foods,” was coined on the Wellpet e-mail list, where Billinghurst’s...
pinkie n.— «With ferrets, appropriate diet is a must. The ferret is a true obligate carnivore, “and we need to really start thinking in terms of high fat, high protein, no carbohydrates and no fiber,” Cottrell says...
mental accounting n.— «Experts say, for example, that such people don’t fall prey to something called “mental accounting,” in which an individual creates imaginary boundaries between different “types” of money...
