orphan disease n.— «A 12-year-old Simi Valley boy with a rare immune system disorder has inspired a series of benefits to help find a cure for what is known as an “orphan disease” because it affects too few children to warrant...
Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York City.
cooler n.— «To win a multi-day tournament, a player must be able to overcome the inevitable bad beat or “cooler,” which is defined as a great hand that just runs into a better hand (for example K-K vs. A-A). The way players respond to...
Hey, everybody! This past weekend's show was our tribute to National Grammar Day, which is Tuesday, March 4th. Among other things, we talked about "booby trap," the food dish "turkey Manhattan," "lock, stock, and...
ricket n.— Note: The Oxford English Dictionary has one cite for this word from 1958, defining it as criminals’ slang meaning “a blunder, mistake.” «Hearn is still involved in snooker, supplying Sky with the premier...
Stand back! It's another newsletter from A Way with Words. This past weekend on A Way with Words we talked about crossword puzzles. This coming weekend superstar solvers from across the continent will gather in Brooklyn, New York, to test their...