In an earlier episode, the director of a women’s choir in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, wondered what to call it when her group gathers to sing together for the sheer joy of it. Listeners responded with many suggestions, including songfest, enchanted...
A Toronto, Canada, caller wonders how a notice that an employee is being fired ever came to be known as a pink slip. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Employee Pink Slip” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is Claude from...
While in Canada, Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins, encountered the term keener, meaning “enthusiast.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Keener” The writer Jamie Attenberg mentioned a word on Facebook that I don’t think...
Dipper n.— «My exquisite pleasure as a Liberal party man who barely knew a Tory or “Dipper” (as we called NDPers) was to work with people from organized labour, Liberals, Conservatives, ad people and NDPers all in a glorious coalition united in our...
Twaggot
n.—Gloss: An overtly homosexual male user of Twitter.com. Note: Twitter + faggot «Twaggot please. Maybe the new king of eyeliner.» —by Bruce LaBruce in Toronto, Canada Twitter.com June 26, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
pee stick n.—Gloss: A long, thin device on which a woman urinates in order to determine if she is pregnant. Note: Common but as far as can be told unrecorded in dictionaries. «Does the newly designed 2010 Olympic torch look like a joint (as in...