That's What They Say

If you're head over heels about someone, it's clear that you've stumbled into a metaphorical somersault of love.Wouldn't "heels over head" make more sense…

We can talk about sending emails back and forth. But why does it sound odd to talk about sending them forth and back?It may not sound right, but some…

Based on the evidence, the phrase "based on" is getting challenged by the phrase "based off."This is an issue English Professor Anne Curzan has been…

The word "fraught," when used alone, is fraught with questions. At least, for some speakers of English.A couple of listeners have written to us recently,…

"In the meantime" is a good phrase to use when you're talking about the time between two events. But can you leave out "in the" and just say "meantime?"A…

Unless you've managed to avoid all sources of media, you've probably heard or read the word "whistleblower" once or twice in the past couple of…

Consider the banana. Actually, consider the top banana, because that's the phrase that someone recently brought to our attention.Professor Anne Curzan…

You're lying in bed on one of the hottest nights of the year. Fortunately, you've got a nice, quiet fan on top of your dresser to keep you cool while you…

Today it's politicians who sometimes get criticized for being wishy-washy, rather than the soup getting criticized as wishy-washy.Let's back up a bit.A…

If you totally don't drink alcohol, you could call yourself a teetotaler.A listener recently asked us about the spelling of "teetotaler." They wanted to…