Eileen remembers a nursing-home resident who liked her tea barefoot, meaning without milk or sugar. The slang use goes back at least to the mid-19th century and can also describe plain coffee or liquor taken straight, with evidence from English...
Judy from Tallahassee, Florida, asks why spendthrift means someone who spends money freely, when thrift now suggests careful saving. The older sense of thrift was acquired wealth or prosperity, something that comes from thriving, so a spendthrift...
The word vintage, from the Latin word vinum “wine,” originally applied to the yield of vineyard during a specific season or a particular place. Over time, vintage came to be applied to automobiles and eventually to clothing. The term...
Scrumping is a Britishism for “stealing apples off your neighbors’ trees.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Scrumping” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Pascale Hickson and I’m...
This week, it’s the language of politics. Martha and Grant discuss two handy terms describing politicians: far center and snollygoster. Also, a presidential word puzzle, false friends, spendthrifts, and a long list of 17th-century insults. So...
Careful about how you spend your money? Then you’re said to be “thrifty.” So why is someone who isn’t frugal called a spendthrift? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Thrifty and Spendthrift” Hi...