If you ever need a term for “a stick lit at one end and waved in the air to form an arc of light,” look no further than Scotland. There, such a plaything is called a dingle-dousie. This is part of a complete episode.
Today, the phrase hue and cry means a clamor or uproar, but in old English law, hue and cry referred to the public outcry during the pursuit of a criminal suspect. Anyone who heard this shouting was legally obligated to join in the chase. This is...
To groak is an obscure verb that means “to look longingly at something, as a dog begging for food. In the Scots language, it’s more commonly spelled growk. This is part of a complete episode.
You’ve been reading a book but you’re just not into it. How do you quit it, guilt-free? How do you break up with a book? Also, what do you ask for when you go through the grocery checkout line: bag, sack, or something else? Plus, brung...
How did the word gay go from meaning lighthearted to homosexual? Also, why are elementary schools sometimes called grammar schools? Plus, imeldific, gone pecan, random Scrabble words, and the difference between borrow and lend. And the etiquette of...
Orey-eyed, meaning “enraged,” comes from the Scots language. Orey dates at least as far back as the 1700s, and has meant many different things, including “drunk.” This is part of a complete episode.