Words of wisdom from G.K. Chesterton: The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Want of Wonder” G.K. Chesterton is always good for a quotation. And there’s one...
What’s the best way for someone busy to learn lots of new words quickly for a test like the GRE? Looking up their origins can help. Or, record yourself reading the words and definitions and play them back while you’re doing other chores. • Book...
An Indianapolis, Indiana, teacher and his class wonder about the origin of whistling in the dark, which means “to put on a brave face in a scary situation.” As it happens, the teacher’s band, The Knollwood Boys, recorded a song by the same name...
The books we love as children may influence our careers more than we realize. As a child, Martha was fascinated with stories of cracking codes, and Grant loved books with glossaries–not that far from the kind of work they do today. A caller from...
In observance of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, copies of his First Folio will be touring all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, for the public to see. It seems fitting, considering what D.H. Lawrence wrote about the Bard: “When I read...
Childish and childlike both point to children, but their connotations differ. Sue in Panama City, Florida, asks after her English husband argues that childlike applies to adults and childish to children. In common use, childish often criticizes...

