Herblock’s Law is a bummer for anyone who, like Grant, loved the socks sold at The Gap fifteen years ago: “If it’s good, they’ll stop making it.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Herblock’s...
Carol in Denton, Texas, wonders whether a drawer can hold six pairs of socks or six pair. Pairs is by far the more common plural in standard use, especially when counting separate sets. But six pair of socks is also heard, particularly when the...
Where’d we get the expression “You bet your sweet bippy!”? It’s from Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, a zany television show from the late 1960s. The word bippy, by the way, means “butt.” The phrase “You bet your sweet bippy” is a linguistic...
A Canadian listener’s boyfriend has a special talent. He can remove his socks, roll them up, and throw them across the room into the laundry basket, all with his toes. She says he has toe dexterity, but wonders if the word dexterous can apply...
You have a pair of gloves, and there are two of them; you have a pair of shoes, and there are two; a pair of socks, and there’s one for each foot, right? So why do we have a pair of jeans when it’s only one item? This is part of a...
Ketchikan tennis shoe n.— «One of natural wool’s greatest attributes is one of its greatest weaknesses: It absorbs moisture without losing insulating value. This makes it perfect for something like socks in rubber boots or, as they are...

