Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article...
As noted in Francis Grose’s A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (Bookshop|Amazon), the term red rag, also redrag, is an old slang term for “the tongue,” as in the quotation he cites with a variant spelling of potato: Shut...
horredy n.— «I’m sure the “norms” probably see horror comedies (or as I like to call them, “horredies”) as vulgar and offensive.» —“Movie Review: Jennifer’s Body (2009)” by Aubrey Ward Firefox News Sept...
Memorial Day good wishes to you and the remembered. Here's another newsletter from "A Way with Words." Did you miss us? There was no newsletter last week, so now we have two brand-spanking-new episodes to share. This past...
screamer n.— Note: In print journalism, “screamer” can also refer to a large, bold headline. «The exclamation mark—or “screamer,” as it is sometimes called by journalists—is often derided as the most brash and...
va-j-j n.— «Lady, one more complaint and I’ll shove a rape whistle up the Mrs. Va-J-J.» —“MTV Get Off the Air, Part 2 (featuring Princess Superstar)” by MC Paul Barman It’s Very Stimulating Feb. 15, 2000...