A listener in Colby, Wisconsin, says that growing up, she called a drink with ice cream in root beer a black cow. But when she moved to Wisconsin, she found that the locals called the same beverage a root beer float. The era of drugstore fountains...
If a Southerner warns she’s going to put a spider on your biscuit, it means she’s about to give you bad news. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Spider in Your Biscuit” Grant, how would you feel if I told you I was gonna put a spider...
Cobwebs are the same thing as spiderwebs, and they get their name from the old English term coppe, meaning “spider,” which turns up in The Hobbit in a poem about an attercop. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Etymology of Cobwebs”...
Why are skillets also called spiders? Some of the three-legged, long-handled pans used for frying actually resemble spiders. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Spider Skillet” Here’s a slang word from 1888 that I’m pretty sure some...
Martha tries to unravel the tangled etymological web that connects gossamer, spiders, geese, and warm weather in a late autumn.
A New York babysitter says the English language needs a word to replace the clunky phrase, “the kids I babysit.” The hosts try to help her find one. “Charges”? “Child associates”? “Padawans”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The...
