Sarah from St. Augustine, Florida, asks if there’s a word for the accent we inherit from our parents. One useful term is idiolect, the unique blend of language each person speaks, and the handing down of speech habits from elders is called...
In parts of the United States, cottage cheese is called smearcase, from German Schmierkäse, a combination of schmieren, “smear,” and Käse, “cheese.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Smearcase, Schmierkäse” You have a...
Mike from St. Augustine, Florida, wants to know about a family expression quicker than Goody’s moose. It’s actually a variation of “quicker than Moody’s goose,” which in turn comes from a 19th Irish saying involving a...

