Biltmore stick n.— «He wore a backpack with a G.P.S. receiver and carried, in one hand, a data collection unit resembling a portable credit card machine, and in the other, a strip of wood known as a Biltmore stick.…The Biltmore...
Boston version n.— «Burlesque has a rich history in Boston, where several burlesque theaters stood in Scollay Square before the district was demolished to make way for Government Center. Performers during burlesque’s heyday coined...
Greetings, wanderers, and welcome home. This past weekend on A Way with Words we wrestled with "commentate," "tie me over" vs. "tide me over," long words, and "biweekly" vs. "semiweekly." We also...
pole tax n.— «There is a new price to be paid for looking at naked women in Texas. On January 1st the state’s strip clubs began imposing a $5 surcharge for each visitor. The “pole tax,” as it is commonly called, is expected to bring the...
A caller wonders if the acrobatic “alley-oop” in basketball is connected with the V.T. Hamlin comic strip, “Alley Oop.” This is part of a complete episode.
marriage broom n.— «Lasko bought a few of her mother’s brooms (she stresses the artisanal nature of these objects; Curt decides not to use one to shoo Enzo off his leg) and spent time with broom maker Marlow Gates at his Leicester, North...