A caller wonders if she’s being hypersensitive about the way her boss addresses her in emails. Can the use of an employee’s first name ever reflect a power differential? And: a community choir director wants a term for “the act of...
Birds inhabit many English words and phrases. The flower called larkspur is named for the way its blossom resembles the spur on the toe of a lark. Columbine derives from Latin columba, “dove,” a reference to the way this flower resembles...
Victorian slang and a modern controversy over language and gender. In the early 1900’s, a door-knocker wasn’t just what visitors used to announce their arrival, it was a type of beard with a similar shape. And in the 21st century: Is it...
A wise Spanish proverb, cada cabeza es un mundo, translates as “every head is a world,” meaning we each have our own perspective. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Every Head is a World” I was reading a book...
“El pez se muere por la boca” is a wise and vivid Spanish proverb. It means “the fish dies by its mouth.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Spanish Proverb” Well, for a while there, it was...
What do you call it when you roll past a stop sign without coming to a complete stop? A California stop, a Michigan stop — or something else? And if someone calls you a voracious reader, would you be flattered or insulted? Also, Puddin’ Tame, the...