Wonderous Worlds of Words (Page 5)

He Listens Different

Season One — Episode 02

Daylight · free opening

Bedside Manner

Season One — Episode 02

After Dark · free opening

The Trail

Season One — Episode 02

After Dark · free opening

Some Burrs Take Years

Season One — Episode 03

Daylight · free opening

Bus Rules

The five-second rule does not apply to anything dropped on a bus. Nothing applies on a bus.

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Doctor Ketchup

In the 1830s, tomato ketchup was sold in America as medicine, promoted as a cure for indigestion. Take two fries and call

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Bildungsroman

A coming-of-age novel.

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You Too

The waiter said “enjoy your meal.” You said “you too.” You thought about it on the drive home. Then in the shower.

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The Long Day

A day on Venus is longer than its year. Venus takes 243 Earth days to spin once, and only 225 to circle

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Zeugma

One word doing two different jobs at once.

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Should I Say Hi?

The gap between “should I say hi?” and walking past them forever: five seconds.

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A Flamboyance

A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. Some words were just waiting for the right bird.

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Metonymy

Naming a thing by something closely tied to it.

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The Fridge

Five seconds is exactly how long you stare into the fridge hoping it restocked itself.

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Faster Than a Phone Call

The first fax machine was patented in 1843, the same year the first great wagon train rolled west on the Oregon Trail.

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Foil

A character who makes another shine by contrast.

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One Percent

Your phone is at 1%. You have five seconds to decide who you really love.

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Square Deal

Wombats produce cube-shaped poop. They stack it on rocks and logs to mark their territory. Nature’s building blocks, in the

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Anaphora

Repeating the same opening words for effect.

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Reply All

You hit Reply All. You now have five seconds to make peace with your choices.

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