Meetup is an increasingly common substitute for meeting, especially when the gathering’s meant to be less formal and attendance is optional. This is part of a complete episode.
Why are the names of cars so unimaginative? Grant argues that auto manufacturers might take inspiration from ornithology to build a better car name. (Then again, would you be any less aggravated if you were rear-ended by a lazuli bunting?) Also this...
A caller wonders why some versions of the Lord’s Prayer include the phrase “forgive us our trespasses,” while others substitute the word “debt.”
Some folks use the old-fashioned exclamation “Good night, nurse!” as a handy substitute for a cussword. But where’d it come from? Grant explains how this phrase became popular in the early 20th century. This is part of a complete...
belly wadding n.— «In the cowboy movies we often see cow punchers and gunfighters pull out what appears to be a short strip of leather and chew away on it—somewhat of a substitute for ribs and beans when they were on the trail or when...
dirt tracking n.— «Ten minutes after the final whistle, the substitutes came out to run around and get the blood pumping; dirt tracking, as it is known. The bench boys have adrenalin coursing through their veins but it has not had an...