A Burlington, Vermont, caller wants to know: Is horseradish so named because of this root’s strong resemblance to part of a horse’s anatomy? This is part of a complete episode.
OMG, text messaging! It’s destroying the English language, corrupting young minds, turning us into illiterates. It’s probably shrinking the ozone layer, too. Or is it? In his new book, Txting: The Gr8 Db8, David Crystal offers a...
leggy adj.— «When plants did come up, they were undeniably “leggy,” meaning their central stalks were tall and spindly before their first leaves. Seedlings won’t necessarily die from being leggy, but they don’t grow up to be as healthy or...
A caller from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, was puzzled when she moved there and locals asked, “What’s your name from home?” meaning, “What’s your maiden name?” The community has a strong Polish heritage and she...
scatter advertising n.— «Most of the advertising time on NBC’s cable channels was sold during an unusually strong upfront sales period last spring. Some of the remaining time—which the industry calls scatter advertising—will be made...
mungo v.— Note: A verb form of the noun mongo. «Such works and many like them are cast in bronze, an alloy of copper and tin that is particularly durable. They could easily take on time and weather, but not a strong market in scrap metal...