John from Louisville, Kentucky, is curious about a line on a track by Jay-Z and Timbaland where Jay-Z says wants not a magnum, but a Methuselah. The reference is to wine bottles, not weapons. A standard bottle holds about 750 milliliters, while a...
Oenophiles are known for their evocative writing about wine, but that’s also true for sophisticated bourbon lovers. Some sensuous tasting notes from bourbon expert Susan Reigler from American Whiskey magazine serve as a case in point. This is part...
Lachryphagy is literally “tear-eating,” and refers to the way some insects crawl up to the eyes of much larger animals to sip their protein-rich tears. The name of the wine Lachryma Christi means “tear of Christ,” and someone tearful is said to be...
A South Carolina teen calls to ask why the English language has a word meaning “to throw someone out of a window,” but no word for “the day after tomorrow.” The word defenestrate, from Latin fenestra, “window,”...
What did the grapes say when the elephant stepped on them? Apologies in advance for the answer. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “In a Ferment Over Another Punny Riddle” What did the grapes say when the elephants stepped...
Erin in Austin, Texas, asks about at loggerheads, meaning stuck in a stubborn disagreement or being at an impasse. The idiom is about 400 years old and likely draws on more than one sense of loggerhead. One is a log-like head, or blockhead...