In a word: The names behind some big names

in a word

Published
May 28, 2023

In a word: The names behind some big names

'Pete’s Submarines' sounded too much like “pizza submarines,” so owners Fred DeLuca and Doctor Peter Buck first changed the name to 'Doctor’s Associates' before deciding on a more familiar one.
Published
May 21, 2023

In a word: How did you pronounce that again?

Take the word 'gif," which is an acronym for 'graphics interchange format.' People seem to pronounce it one of two ways, but its inventor has no doubt about how it's pronounced.
Published
May 14, 2023

In a word: A look at my elementary words

'It’s not a timecard,' I say back to the nice voice coming out of the speaker in the ceiling, 'it’s a timesheet.'
Published
May 7, 2023

In a word: Loan words bearing lots of interest

Our word 'cookie' comes from the Dutch word 'koekie,' which means 'akin to cake.' Sweet.
Published
April 30, 2023

In a word: SpaceX RUDs and other euphemisms

If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve probably heard the phrases 'long in the tooth,' 'getting on in years' or even 'over the hill.'
Published
April 23, 2023

In a word: When foreign sounds very familiar

'Deja vu' is French for feeling as though you've lived through a situation before. As Yogi Berra put it: 'It’s deja vu all over again.'
Published
April 16, 2023

In a word: Product ads from ‘cuckoo’ to ‘gr-r-reat!’

What has to be the most unfortunate advertising slogan ever is one Ford used for its subcompact car, the Pinto.
Published
April 9, 2023

In a word: What’s with all the #@%&! swearing?

Lalochezia comes from the Greek — “lalos” (speak) and “khezo” (to relieve oneself) — and refers to the use of foul language to relieve stress or pain. And it does!
Published
April 2, 2023

In a word: This popular game show clearly loves words

What is 'Jeopardy!'? That's right! In fact, the game show's most frequent Final Jeopardy! category is about words.
Published
March 26, 2023

In a word: Dit quoi? It’s all French to me . . .

Did you know that a French omelet uses only one egg because one egg is an oeuf.