Abishek in Gaffney, South Carolina, found himself using the word Tetrising to refer to trying to pack a lot of small items into a moving van, based on the video game Tetris, in which players try to make various combinations of squares all fit...
Before the days of the Square, vendors had to run a credit card through rough, bulky machine called a knucklebuster that had the capacity to do just that. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Knucklebuster” Here’s a little language...
Where do we get the phrase “be there or be square”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Be There or Be Square” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Lorraine. I’m calling from Benita, California. Hello, Lorraine. Welcome. Hi...
trust fall n.— «I can’t tell you how many times I’ve attended an orientation or team-building activity and been forced to play the same game. You’ve all done it, too: Commonly known as the “trust fall,” participants are required to pair up and...
Boston version n.— «Burlesque has a rich history in Boston, where several burlesque theaters stood in Scollay Square before the district was demolished to make way for Government Center. Performers during burlesque’s heyday coined the term “the...
poot-butt
n.— «Poot-butt—A square; someone who doesn’t know what’s happening; often a child.» —“Examples of Black Vernacular” Hartford Courant (Connecticut) Dec. 30, 1973. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)