A roofer in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has a dispute with his boss over how to pronounce the word roof. Most people pronounce roof to rhyme with the word proof, but some pronounce like the word rough and some pronounce it to rhyme with hoof. This is...
Is it a pitched battle or a pitch battle? Originally, a pitched battle was conducted according to traditional rules of warfare, which called for combat in a prearranged time and place. The pitch in this term has to do with positioning, in much the...
If you pronounce roof to rhyme with hoof, you’re not alone. Millions of people all over the U.S. say it that way, though the pronunciation with the long o sound is more common. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Roof and...
Dude! We’re used to hearing the word “dude” applied to guys. But increasingly, young women use the word “dude” to address each other. Grant and Martha talk about linguistic research about the meaning and uses of...
eyebrow window n.— «Furzemoor Cottage is a pretty home with a wired thatch roof (extensively re-thatched in 2003) with wide eyebrow windows.» —“Chocolate-box pretty for Easter” Henley Standard (United...
cat slide n.— «Furzemoor Cottage is a pretty home with a wired thatch roof (extensively re-thatched in 2003) with wide eyebrow windows and a “cat slide”—the term for a section of a roof that is extended to cover a lean-to or side room, so...

