A listener in St. Cloud, Minnesota, reports that when she first started in the printing business, new employees would be hazed with the prank assignment of finding a “paper stretcher” to make a web — the big sheet of paper that newspapers are...
Contact, when used as a verb, is another word that once prompted peeving. In fact, in the 1930s, an official at Western Union lobbied for a company-wide ban on the word, which he deemed a hideous vulgarism compared to the phrases “get in touch with”...
Careful what you criticize! Not long ago, some words that sound perfectly normal today were considered gauche and grating on the ear. If the complainers had had their way, we couldn’t say a word like pessimism or use contact as a verb! Also, we’ll...
An old book of proverbs gave us this one, which could be taken as a good thing or a warning: Wedlock is a padlock. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Wedlock is a Padlock” I was looking at an old book of Proverbs the other day and...
HC n.— «The sport’s governing bodies, the Union Cycliste International and USA Cycling, gave the seven-day stage race a ranking of 2.HC, putting it on a par with the Tour of California as the premier cycling events in the U.S. “HC” is an...
gapping n.— «The practice is called “gapping.” It’s when colleges offer students financial aid packages beneath what they need to attend—often driving them to other revenue sources like a private loan or, if they’re lucky, a check from grandma.» —“...