Long before Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the Little House on the Prairie (Bookshop|Amazon), she worked as a journalist, chronicling life in the Ozarks. In one of her early writings, Wilder refers to what she calls “the famous question”:...
Sister Patricia Marie in San Antonio, Texas, wonders why we use three sheets to the wind to describe someone who is inebriated. In nautical terminology, some of the ropes, or lines, attached to the corner of a sail are called sheets. If three of...
A psychotherapist in Burlington, Vermont, observes that couples in counseling together ask each other questions that are actually veiled criticisms. Such indirect communication was the topic of a spirited conversation on Metafilter. Much has been...
As the 19th-century British jurist Charles Darling observed: “A timid question will always receive a confident answer.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Timid Question” Here’s a quotation I like from...
How dry is it? In the middle of a drought, you might answer that question is “So dry the trees are bribing the dogs.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Drought Humor” I was talking to a Texan about how dry...
A caller from University Park, Maryland, wonders what’s really going on when someone says ” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “That’s a Great Question” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Jerry...