Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 16 June 2008

[This episode first aired February 23, 2008.]

Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York City.

http://www.crosswordtournament.com/

An Atlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew up using the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains the connection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.'

Which is the correct form: 'driver license,' 'drivers' license,' or 'driver's license'?

An Austin teenager wants to know why we refer to a girl who behaves boyishly as a 'tomboy.'

This week's 'Slang This!' contestant tries to guess the meaning of the terms 'beano' (no, not the anti-gas treatment) and 'macing' (no, not the stinging defensive spray).

A teacher discusses whether the correct form is 'feel bad' or 'feel badly.' By the way, the Latin proverb Martha mentions here is, 'Qui docet, discet.'

Why do we use a capital letter 'I' for the first person singular pronoun, but don't capitalize any other pronouns?

A caller from Maine says she was taught to say 'bunny, bunny' at the first of each month for good luck. Then she met someone who says 'rabbit, rabbit' for the same reason. What's the superstition behind these lagomorphic locutions?

In honor of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Quiz Guy John Chaneski presents a puzzle about--what else?--crossed words.

A caller wants to know why those deep-fried balls of cornmeal and spices are called 'hush puppies.'

An ESL teacher puzzles over how to explain to his students the proper pronunciation of the word 'route.' He asks whether the pronunciation 'root' has been 'routed' by 'rowt.'

A caller is curious about an expression her father liked to use 'off in the giggleweeds.' What's a giggleweed? And no, he didn't mean marijuana.

More next week. Notice how we didn't say, 'Well, weed better be going'?

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