The word preppy has undergone a considerable evolution since Boomers first used it to describe attire that reflects a conservative, polished, East-coast prep school look. For middle-schoolers today, preppy connotes an entirely different aesthetic:...
There’s a hot debate going on about the use of “no problem” instead of “you’re welcome,” in response to “thank you.” But there’s nothing wrong with this phrase. The expression can’t be...
A clopen shift is the weary-making retail or restaurant assignment where someone closes the business late, then comes back the next morning to reopen. The blend comes from close plus open, with variants such as clopening for the act of working one...
Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn has been mulling how to classify the term BBQ, since the “Q” reflects sound, not an initial. It’s a type of abbreviation called clipping. BBQ goes back to restaurant signs and menus from...
Why do department stores label their infants’ section “Baby” instead of “Babies’” à la “Men’s” or “Women’s”? For one, the Baby department includes more than just clothes;...
Let’s put the moose on the table: You have questions, and Grant and Martha have answers. For example, why would someone have an albatross around the neck? And what’s so cool about bees’ knees, anyway? Plus, jockey boxes...
