Joan from Dallas, Texas, asks about to wing it, meaning to improvise or proceed with little preparation. The phrase does not come from pilots or flying by guesswork, but from the slang of 19th-century theater. It referred to understudies who learned...
This week: Do you ever find yourself less-than-specific about your age? Listeners share some of their favorite phrases for fudging that number, like: “Oh, I’m 29, plus shipping and handling.” Also in this episode: • Since ancient...
A popular Hindi proverb about blaming everyone but oneself translates as “One who knows no dance claims that the stage is tilted.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Hindi Dance Proverb” Here’s a proverb...
In the late 19th century, Wisconsin newspaperman George Wilbur Peck wrote a series of columns about a fictional boy who was the personification of mischief. The popular character inspired stage and movie adaptations, and the term “Peck’s...
Sneaky contract lingo, advice for writing well, and preserving a dying language. Say you’re scrolling through an online transaction where you’re asked to read the “Terms and Conditions.” Do you actually read them or just check the...
When you get to the stage of an online transaction where you’re asked to read the “Terms and Conditions,” do you actually read them? Or do you just check the box and move on? A London security firm once offered free use of a WiFi...
