Pickle, baboon, cupcake, snorkel, pumpkin, Kalamazoo—let’s face it, some words are just plain funny. But what makes some words funnier than others? Martha and Grant consider this question with an assist from Neil Simon’s play (and movie)...
If English isn’t your first language, there are lots of ways to learn it, such as memorizing Barack Obama’s speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention. Martha and Grant talk about some of the unusual ways foreigners are learning to speak...
skin tenting n.— «There is a simple way to tell if you are dehydrated, Rodriguez said, and it is a technique called “skin tenting.” In this technique, pinch and lift up the skin on the back of the hand to form a tent, then...
Do you know this diabolical riddle? “There are three words in the English language that end in -gry. Angry and hungry are two of them. What’s the third?” The hosts explain that the answer’s not as simple as you might think...
This week, we’re going through the e-mail bag. Here’s a savory, sensuous one. It’s from Stacey in Boulder, Colorado.
magic booster bag n.—Gloss: Same as booster bag. «It looks like a simple bag on the outside. Once you look inside, you’ll discover the bag is a complex shoplifting tool. “They’ve got aluminum foil, ductwork and gray duct...