Tess in San Antonio, Texas, says her father and grandfather used to pretend to be bogeymen, playfully warning kids to be good lest Ol’ Santy Mocus come after them. The word tantibogus is a euphemism for the Devil, and Ol’ Santy Mocus may be yet...
Karen from Santa Barbara, California, wonders about the verb to retire. Why doesn’t it mean to tire all over again? The Spanish word for retirement, jubilación, is cognate with the English word jubilation. This is part of a complete episode...
A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, woman serves on a committee that is choosing a new school. Some members propose calling their sports teams the Steel Knights. But is the term knight gender-neutral? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Is...
For a clever way to describe someone as arrogant, you can always say, “I’d like to buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s worth” or “what he thinks he’ll bring.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Buy...
To give free rein, meaning “to allow more leeway,” derives from the idea of loosening one’s grip on the reins of a horse. Some people mistakenly understand the term as free reign. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Free Rein vs. Free...
The “Think and Grin” section of Boy’s Life magazine has some pretty corny jokes, including one about a parking space. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Think and Grin” How about this little exchange? The officer says, you can’t park...