Debbie from Alliance, Ohio, asks why hoot shows up in expressions such as she’s a hoot, that’s a hoot, and “I don’t give a hoot.” The cheerful sense, meaning a funny person or a good time, is likely tied to hootenanny, a casual party or impromptu...
Stabby describes an urge to stab something, or more often, a comic, benign way to say you’re intensely irritated, as when the internet goes out or traffic tests your patience. The adjective has had a recent vogue in informal writing, but it isn’t...