File 13 is slang for a wastebasket, the place for paperwork nobody intends to process. Maria in Indianapolis hears it around her office, but the expression is older than recent office banter. It starts showing up in the early 1940s as World War II...
If you see the trash can as half full, does that make you an optimist or a pessimist? Since it’s half full of garbage, as opposed to daisies or puppies, it’s questionable. On the other hand, in the tweeted words of Jill Morris:...
Quisquillious describes something that’s trashy or worthless. It derives from the Latin for “rubbish.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Quisquillious” Grant, would you like to know my new favorite word...
A woman from upstate New York says her stepfather used to keep small dishes in various rooms to collect small odds and ends like paper clips and rubber bands. He called them culch piles. Martha has the story on this term. This is part of a complete...
When we agree to make a decision later, we might say we’re going to “play it by ear.” What’s the origin of that phrase? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Play it By Ear” You’re listening to...
You may remember the call we had from Tony in Encinitas, California. He was curious about the term for an unusual hazing ritual.
