When is a mango not a mango? Why, when it’s a bell pepper, of course! An Indiana listener says she and her Kentucky in-laws have entirely different names for this vegetable. She wants to know why, so we help her sort it out.
sweatbox n.— «What will happen when they do have to pay it back includes nonstop calls to them and their parents. Credit card collection agencies know how to harass, threaten and then sweet-talk cardholders who are late. They even have a term for...
gumologist n.— «Cadbury, which has a gumologist (with a Ph.D. in mineral processing and engineering) on staff, is not interested in the tasters’ personal preferences.…The highlight of the morning was the tasting of several pieces of gum to look for...
blessing way n.— «A Blessing Way is a ritual for the expectant mother. It is based on a Hopi tradition. A Blessing Way is a gathering of women who get together, tell birth stories, give the expectant mother emotional support and pamper her a bit...
sugaring n.— «A business specializing in all-natural hair removal recently opened downtown at 185-A St. Philip St. The shop, called Sweet 185, removes hair through a practice called “sugaring,” which involves a mixture of sugar, lemon and water...
muzzle monkey
n.— «7 muzzle monkeys standing in a row/Standing waiting for The Sandbox to blow/Sitting targets in the wild west show.» —“Dad’s Gonna Kill Me” by Richard Thompson in song Sweet Warrior May, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)