What does it mean to vet a political candidate? The word “vet” comes from veterinarian, specifically the ones who would examine a horse before a race to make sure it was healthy and eligible. Similarly, one might vet a candidate to make sure they’re...
How do you say “not my problem”? A listener shares his go-to: Not my pig, not my farm. It means the same thing as “I don’t have a horse in that race,” or “I don’t have a dog in that fight.” Douglas Adams, in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy...
How’d we get the term colorblind, and when it did come to be mean “indifferent to race”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Etymology of Colorblind” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, how are you? Super duper, who’s this? This is...
racecraft n.— «“When you get to this stage, these guys know how to drive race cars,” said Mears, who is working with driver Will Power as he prepares for his second Indy start and first with Penske on May 24. “So it’s really more dealing with...
Carpocalypse n.— «Did you suffer a major cut in pay due to the Carpocalypse? Did you have to remove your name from the list for the next Ferrari über-car?» —“Race Car Replicas: Ferrari Enzo Performance For Carpocalypse Prices” Jalopnik Jan. 5, 2009...
HC n.— «The sport’s governing bodies, the Union Cycliste International and USA Cycling, gave the seven-day stage race a ranking of 2.HC, putting it on a par with the Tour of California as the premier cycling events in the U.S. “HC” is an...
