The phrase he doesn’t know from (something), meaning “he doesn’t know about (something),” is a word-for-word borrowing, or calque, of a Yiddish phrase “Er veys nit fun.” This is part of a complete episode...
Clinomania and dysania are learned-sounding words for an all-too-familiar state: extreme difficulty getting out of bed. In clinomania, the clino- element traces to ancient words connected with leaning or lying down, the same idea heard in incline...
The terms mickey mouse and to mickey mouse can be used as pejoratives. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Mickey Mouse as a Pejorative” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, yes, how are you? My name is Timothy Wong, and hi...
Goldberg n. a complicated machine or machine part. Also (Rube) Goldberg device, Goldberg machine. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)