The adjectives canine and feline refer to dogs and cats. But how does English address other groups of animals? Plus, cabin fever has been around much longer than the current pandemic. That restless, antsy, stir-crazy feeling goes back to the days...
Hannah from Menominee, Wisconsin, says her father used to invite people to go for a drive with Let’s go for a scud. The verb to scud means “to move quickly,” or “to speed,” as in clouds scudding across the sky, and goes...
Scott in Madison, Wisconsin, is curious about the word invoice. It’s related to the English word envoy, and comes from French, envois, literally “things sent.” This is part of a complete episode.
Did we stop referring to young urban professionals as yuppies? A listener in Madison, Wisconsin, says his younger co-workers told him they’d never heard of the word. The use of the word yuppie peaked around 1990, and has dramatically dropped...
You may have a favorite word in English, but what about your favorite in another language? The Spanish term ojalá is especially handy for expressing hopefulness and derives from Arabic for “God willing.” In Trinidad, if you want to ask...
After our discussion about nieflings and niblings and other collective nouns for “nieces and nephews,” an Eau Claire, Wisconsin, listener offers kindlings, suggesting new beginnings and warmth. This is part of a complete episode.