Is there something inherent in English that makes it the linguistic equivalent of the Borg, dominating and consuming other languages in its path? No, not at all. The answer lies with politics and conquest rather than language itself. Plus: a new...
A Texas listener recounts an ongoing debate in her family’s kitchen over the exact definition of the word spatula. Is it the kitchen tool used to spread icing and level measuring cups? Something you use to flip a pancake? That item with the plastic...
buttering n.— «Spread a layer of mortar on the bottom of the opening like you’d spread butter on bread. In fact, the process is called buttering. Do the same to the top and sides of the replacement brick and slide it carefully into the hole...
money-good adj.— «“OK, something that Moody’s rates triple-A must be money-good, so I’m going to worry about the other things I’m investing in, but when it comes time to say, ’Where am I going to put my cash?,’ I’ll just leave it in triple-A...
How do you pronounce eco, as in eco-friendly? Is it EE-koe or EK-koe? A seller of environmentally friendly products learns whether she can tell her teenage son to go spread his pronunciation in the garden. This is part of a complete episode...
Bongiorno! In this week's podcast, a caller asks a delicate question about “blue bark shipment,” an expression involving the transport of deceased members of the military. Martha and Grant discuss the challenge of tracking down its origins and...