Did you know reading poetry improves your prose? That includes hip-hop lyrics, too. Also, how linguist can guess where you come from based on how you speak. What do you call someone who picks the chocolate out of the trail mix...
Does turn up the A.C. mean make the room cooler or raise the thermostat and make it warmer? Kirsten from Tucson, Arizona, asks about the tricky little word up, because with heat, the machine’s effort and the temperature both rise, while with air...
When is your golden birthday? It’s when your age and the date match, such as turning 23 years old on the 23rd day of the month. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Golden Birthday” Recently, we received an email from...
Navy veterans will recognize the two-fingered gesture that looks as if someone’s turning an invisible doorknob. It accompanies the order turn to, meaning “get to work.” How did this handy expression get started? This is part of a...
bear n.— «My favorite cycling food is small, salted and boiled red potatoes, which this year were served at the rest area just before the three bears, three climbs that form a classic patch of cycling territory in the rolling hills east...
century n.— «Together we’ve ridden thousands of miles on California’s back roads, frequently riding the organized cycling outings referred to as centuries. Riding 100 miles on a bike (there is usually a 62 mile so-called metric century...