The word larruping and its many variant spellings is often used to describe delicious food. The verb larrup means to “beat” or “strike,” and larruping (often spelled with the G dropped: larrupin’) is used as an intensifier...
Susan in San Antonio uses John Henry at work to mean a signature, as in needing a co-worker’s John Henry on a return form. She’s not alone, but the much more common version is John Hancock, from the famously large signature of John Hancock on the...
Apple core, Baltimore! Who’s your friend? is a playground-style apple-core tossing chant, which Travis in Madison, Wisconsin, heard from his father well into adulthood. In one version, the apple eater calls out the rhyme, waits for someone to name a...
Certain baby names come with the perpetual problem of being easily confused, like Todd and Scott. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Name Confusion Scott/Todd” Grant, we were talking earlier in the show about names. Names...
An Indiana woman is puzzled about a phrase in the old western song, “I Ride An Old Paint”: “I’m goin’ to Montana to throw the houlihan.” What’s a houlihan? You’ll find one version of the lyrics here...