Daylighting refers to uncovering built-over rivers and streams and reintegrating them into the urban landscape. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Daylighting Rivers” A century or so ago when cities were getting built up, sometimes...
“Make a branch” is a euphemism that means “to urinate,” the word branch being a dialectal term for “a small stream.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Make a Branch” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi. Hi, who’s this? My name’s...
Hyperbolic Headlines Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity!!!! Or maybe not. You’ve seen those breathless headlines on the internet, like “You Won’t Believe What This 7-year-old Said to The President!” They’re supposed to lure you to another...
First names like “Patience,” “Hope,” and “Charity” are inspired by worthy qualities. But how about “Be-courteous” or “Hate-evil”? The Puritans sometimes gave children such names hoping that their kids would live up to them. Also, even some feminists...
We’ve heard a lot lately about great athletic rivalries, most notably between Olympic swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. So it’s worth noting the source of this watery word. In ancient Rome, the word rivus meant “a small stream,” and its...
You may remember the call we had from Tony in Encinitas, California. He was curious about the term for an unusual hazing ritual.
