The English language has been greatly enriched by borrowings from the languages of Asia. Barely scratching the surface, we have from Japan skosh, tycoon, tsunami, origami, yen, kimono, futon, and karaoke. From Chinese comes yen, kowtow, gung ho, and...
Leo, a scientIst in Tucson, Arizona, used to live in Japan, where he often heard Japanese speakers using English that wasn’t quite correct. For example, one Japanese friend described someone “full of worry” as scareful. Another...
Clodhoppers fits Amber’s 1990s platform shoes all too well: the word first meant a rustic or rube, the sort of person imagined as literally hopping over clods of earth while working the land. That insulting sense shows up in old newspapers as far...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski is puzzling over proverbs around the world, but he asks for help remembering the last word of each. For example, he knows there’s a German proverb that translates as “A clear conscience is a soft willow.” No...
Stacy from Marquette, Michigan, says her German-born grandfather would warn that she was going to get a putsch or potch, meaning a “a gentle slap” on her bottom, if she misbehaved. The German verb Patsch means “slap.” The...
Why do we say that someone who’s especially fortunate is endowed with the luck of the Irish? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The So-Called Luck of the Irish” Hi there. You have A Way with Words. Hey, Martha. This...
