A fan of the TV series West Wing was puzzled by a character’s use of the term pulchritude. It’s a pretty ugly term for a word that means “beauty.” Check out what some other commenters are saying about the word. This is part...
Where is Podunk? Grant explains that a columnist in the 1800s used the name for his series called “Life in the Small Town of Podunk,” referring to a generic backwoods American town. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Remember when the expression “reading a book” meant, well, actually reading a book? Martha and Grant discuss a Los Angeles Times series about how electronic devices are changing the way we read. This is part of a complete episode...
Whoever wrote “The Book of Love” neglected to include the handy emoticon <3, which looks like a heart if you turn your head sideways. Grant and Martha talk about how that bit of affectionate shorthand can function as a verb, and about...
Quiz Guy Greg Pliska offers a colorful variation on his ever-popular “Odd Man Out” puzzle. In this series, for example, which one doesn’t belong: Imperial, Shasta, Kings, and Orange. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript...
Mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah… MmmmmWAH! Martha shares the German verb that means to plant one last kiss in a series of them. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “One Last Kiss” So, Grant, I’m reading this book...