Humorist Roy Blount Jr. stops by to try his hand at a slang quiz specifically about Southernisms.
An ophthalmologist in Arcata, California, is puzzled by the way some of his older patients refer to a single lens. Several of them call it a len, not a lens. This gives the hosts a chance to focus on what linguists call back-formations. This is part...
An Alabama high-school teacher observes that one of his fellow teachers tends to write words that should be plural as singular, such as “I graded all 50 test” instead of “I graded all 50 tests.” The reason for this locution...
Ever been met with a quizzical look and the question, “Do what?” The hosts discuss this dialectal equivalent of “How’s that?” or “Come again?” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Do What...
For many Southerners, it’s very picture of eagerness and alacrity: He was all over that like a duck on a June bug! Martha and Grant reveal the memorable image behind this curious expression. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
ghost inventory n.— «All of these empty homes waiting to go to market with no for sale signs in their yard are called ghost inventory. According to Bench, “These ghost inventory homes do not show up on the MLS yet and so almost...