When a British tabloid reporter writing about a crocodile attack needed a synonym for crocodile, he went with knobbly monster, now a joking term for similarly creative ways of avoiding repetition. Juliet and Matthew Maguire, described by The...
According to The Little Book of Second Mentions: The Art of Avoiding Repetition (Bookshop|Amazon), a journalist once referred to a watermelon as the pink-fleshed crowd pleaser. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pink-Fleshed Crowd...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s puzzle is proof positive that words aren’t always what they seem, especially words that begin with the letters re-. For example, say John was driving along a road and turned right, then drove a little more and turned left. A...
Diane calls from eastern North Carolina to talk about a phrase her father used if she asked him to repeat something: I never chew my celery twice. He probably conflated the idea of chewing celery with some far more common expressions involving doing...
As author Terry Pratchett once said, “It’s still magic if you know how it’s done.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Terry Pratchett Quote” Here’s a quote I love from Terry Pratchett who died recently, the author. It’s still magic...