A seven-letter word riddle asks what becomes longer when its third letter disappears. The trick depends on treating the word both as something with a meaning and as a string of characters, with a pun waiting at the end. This is part of a complete...
Scartle is an old Scots word meaning to scrape together little bits of things, like picking the coins and crumbs out of a car seat. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Scartle” Scartle Myrtle You’re doing a word...
Betamax players and hair metal bands may be trapped in the 1980’s, but the term yuppie, meaning young urban professional, is alive and well. Dink, meaning dual income, no kids, is also worth throwing around in a marketing presentation. This is...
Nanty narking, also found with nante, was 19th-century British slang for great fun. Lexicographer Jonathan Green suggests that nark may come from an older sense meaning to annoy, while nanty points to nothing, as in Italian niente. The result means...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski wasn’t savvy enough way back when to snag an email address like john@aol.com, but he was clever enough to come up with a game about apt email addresses that serve as a pun on the word at. For example, a prescient lawyer...
Next time you’re in a bar and in need of an insult, say it like Shakespeare: Thou wanton swag-bellied underskinker! An underskinker is an assistant tapster who draws beer for customers. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...