Aubrey in Waco, Texas, says her mother used to warn the kids against contracting honkus of the bonkus, a fanciful name for a contagious disease. This colloquial term probably comes from the words bonk and konk, meaning “to hit” or...
Sometimes it’s a challenge to give a book a chance: How many pages should you read before deciding it’s not worth your time? There’s a new formula to help with that decision — and it’s all based on your age. • Have you ever...
A caller in Cooperstown, North Dakota, remembers her West Virginia-born grandmother’s stern warning: Willful waste will lead to woeful want. The more common version, Wilful waste makes woeful want, goes back to the 18th century. Other versions...
A listener remembers her mother used to say, “Your Monday is longer than your Tuesday.” This phrase offered a subtle way to notify someone that her slip was showing. Other expressions convey that warning as well, including “Monday...
Kelly day n.— «The delegation…explained that firemen work one day and have the next day off with every 10th day designated as a “Kelly” day or day off. This schedule is followed except during the vacation period when the...
headache beam n.— «Each set of steel posts holds up another length of steel that spans Weber Street. Warning signs announce the height restriction. If the signs are ignored, trucks that are too tall will hit the steel and, the idea goes...