Enthusiastic book recommendations! Martha’s savoring the biography of Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century explorer, polymath, and naturalist who revolutionized our understanding of nature and predicted the effects of human activity on climate...
Brian in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reports hearing an older person talk about getting the receipt for a dish, using the word receipt in the same way that others might use the word recipe. The use of receipt as a synonym for recipe, as in “a set of...
What the fox says may be a mystery, but we do know that dogs bark differently around the world. In China, for example, they say not bow-wow but wang wang. Also, the story behind the British tradition of scrumping. It’s not a middle school dance...
Ron in Grand Rapids, Michigan, grew up hearing relatives ask for a receipt when they wanted a recipe, as in getting the instructions for a good cake. That usage is old-fashioned but well established. Both receipt and recipe go back to Latin...
iron ranger n.— «This is supposed to be a PUBLIC parking lot at a State Beach where patrons are supposed to display a receipt from the iron ranger parking dispenser or, have a State Parks pass attached to the windshield.» —“State Coastal Commission...
suck rubber v. phr.— «As a Flight Surgeon I was a member of the Primary Response team involved with the initial receipt and triage of casualties. I would soon get used to seeing patients while wearing my gas mask and sucking rubber.» —by Gregg...