Family surnames often derive from occupations, locations, or physical characteristics, so Quiz Guy John Chaneski has crafted a puzzle about fictitious origins of people’s last names. For example, many folks have farmers in their ancestry, but...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski shares a game that provides plenty of Ooos and Ahhs. It involves clues to two words, one that begins with an Ooo sound and the other with an Ahh sound. For example, if John is making a traditional Chinese tea, but messes it...
In Ireland, the word omadhaun means “a foolish person.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Omadhaun” Not often that I’m reading a newspaper article that sends me running to the dictionary, but I had to...
A listener in Council Bluffs, Iowa, says his grandmother, born in 1899, used to say I’m feeling punk, meaning “I’m feeling ill.” The term derives from an older sense of punk meaning “rotted wood.” This is part of...
“We’re off like a dirty shirt” indicates the speaker is “leaving right away” or “commencing immediately.” Similar phrases include “off like a prom dress” and “off like a bride’s...
Teaching our children, and some advice for writers. Suppose your child is eager to tackle a difficult subject–ancient Greek, for example–but you know his reach exceeds his grasp? The challenge is to support the child’s curiosity...