Have trouble remembering the difference between stalagtites and stalagmites? Martha shares a mnemonic that will help. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Stalagtites vs. Stalagmites” Grant, a while back on the show, we were talking...
If you have a word lover on your gift list, Martha and Grant have book recommendations for you. For adults, Martha recommends linguist Geoffrey Nunberg’s collection of essays, The Years of Talking Dangerously. For kids, Grant’s been enjoying David...
weed in a can n.— «“Drank” is being billed as the anti-energy drink, to help you relax and soothe out the day. The key ingredients in the grape-flavored drink are melatonin, valerian root and rose hip. Those are all herbs used to help in relaxation...
vendorizing n.— «The first problem I came to is that, stupid me for not knowing, activesupport bundles some gems (they coined the term “vendorizing” but it’s just bundling, and it’s just as well ); of these four (builder, i18n, memcache-client and...
wall-cross v.— «Wells Fargo wanted to be among one of the first banks to get to the market before fund managers and investors became overwhelmed by the supply of stock. Being first also carried the risk that the offering could be too big, or badly...
flagging n.— «The boy with the photo on his cell was now in trouble for having pulled a girl’s pants down in class (another teen phenomenon known as “flagging”).» —“My Students. My Cellphone. My Ordeal.” by Ting-Yi Oei Washington Post Apr. 17, 2009...