Step right up! It's another newsletter from "A Way with Words." This week we talked about unusual ways foreigners learn English, "play golf" vs. "go golfing," lie vs. lay, similes, "yo!," "neck of the...
hardening off n.— «It is best not to put seedling so young directly out in the garden. “Hardening off” is the term for gradually acclimating them to outdoor conditions. I use an half-way house, also known in garden circles as...
A caller shares colorful expressions from her Texas-born mother, including turkey tail and I’m gonna snatch you bald-headed. She also wonders why her mother says bread and butter every time they’re walking together and an object in their...
torch party n.— «Some of the soldiers were returning for graduations and births of their children, Auer said, but a number of them are part of what’s known as a “torch party.” A torch party clears the way for a larger advance...
boomeritis n.— «For nearly 77 million baby boomers, sports-related injuries have become the No. 2 reason for doctor visits behind the common cold. Medical professionals call it “boomeritis,” a term coined by Nicholas DiNubile...
twist one’s cap back v. phr.— «I have also had one of my husband’s deranged friends cross the friendship line. I almost whipped a b**ch’s azz for calling my damn house in the middle of the night, thinking she was “slick.”...