Addie in Neenah, Wisconsin, seeks the origin of a word her grandfather used for gunk that gets stuck, such as a bit of food between one’s teeth. The dialectal term is likely ackempucky, which, according to the Dictionary of American Regional...
It’s the shank of the evening! But when is that, exactly? This phrase is typically suggests that the night is far from over, shank being an old word for something straight, or the tail end of something. But as the Dictionary of American...
Dining on a budget? Just whip up some necessity mess or a potato bargain. That’s a pork, onion, and potato stew popular in Eastern Massachusetts. Or how about some Georgia ice cream? It’s a North Florida term for grits. Martha shares a...
What would you bring to a pitch-in? An Indiana transplant shares this newly acquired term for a potluck dinner. Martha points out that the Dictionary of American Regional English has a map showing the distribution of the term, and it’s limited...
dipsy-do n.—Gloss: another way of saying “an up and down (motion or change).” Note: The Dictionary of American Regional English has a similar term, “dipsy-doodle”, which is defined as dip in the road, or a “thank-you...
shack-wacky adj. restless or irritable from staying indoors or in one location for a long period; stir crazy; afflicted with cabin fever. Editorial Note: The Dictionary of American Regional English has a single 1991 citation of this term from a...