Linda from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, gives directions to her remote home by telling people to turn left after the whoopsy-daisy, her term for a sudden dip in the road. There are quite a few colloquial expressions for such abrupt depression or...
Belly tickler, dipsy doodle, johnny-come-lately, duck and dip, how-do-you-do, tickle bump, yes-ma’am, thank-you-ma’am, kiss-me-quick, and (especially in Canada) cahot all mean “a bump in the road.” Particularly in southwest Pennsylvania, the term...
If you call someone a card, it means they’re funny or quick-witted. Grant and Martha discuss the metaphors inspired by the language of playing cards. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “You’re a Card” Hello, you have A Way with Words...
Quick, picture a berry: Is it blue? Red? Then where’d we get the English expression brown as a berry? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Origin of Brown as a Berry” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is Lou Jane. I’m from...
A caller has a hard time remembering which is correct: “Give the book to my husband and me,” or “Give the book to my husband and I.” Martha offers a sure-fire, quick-and-easy way to know if “husband and I” or “husband me” are right every time. This...
Quick, which is faster? Something that happens instantly or that happens instantaneously? A caller wants to know if there’s any difference between the two. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Instantly vs. Instantaneously” Hello, you...