Five-year-old Timothy in Bainbridge Island, Washington, asks why a draw in tic-tac-toe is called a cat’s game. The exact reason is unknown, but cats turn up in several names for the game and its tied outcomes. In some Spanish-speaking countries, tic...
Andy from Independence, Missouri, inherited a toe-counting rhyme from his grandfather: Tom Pumpkin, Long Larkin, Betty Pringle, Johnny Jingle, and Little Dick. The exact source is unknown, but it fits a lively family of English and Scandinavian toe...
A Canadian listener’s boyfriend has a special talent. He can remove his socks, roll them up, and throw them across the room into the laundry basket, all with his toes. She says he has toe dexterity, but wonders if the word dexterous can apply to...
Ahoy! In this week’s brand-spankin’-new episode: Great gifts for language lovers, nerds vs. geeks, “tow the line” vs. “toe the line,” the slang term “poutrage,” and the crust in the corners of your eyes after you sleep. Here ’tis: It’s been called...
Is the proper phrase toe the line or tow the line? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “”Toe the Line” vs. “Tow the Line”” Hello, you have A Way with Words? Hi. Hi, who’s this? This is Ms. Gallup at Hoover High School. Oh, fantastic...
All aboard! This week, a bit about the musical language of railroad conductors’ calls: “Anaheim, Azusa, and Cu-ca-monga!” Also, the origin of the military slang term cumshaw, tips for learning Latin, the influence of Spanish immigrants on English...
