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Stories, True and Otherwise

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The Vine

The Tomato Nation advice column addresses your questions on etiquette, grammar, romance, and pet misbehavior. Ask The Readers about books or fashion today!

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Articles tagged with: our friend English

Word Of The Day: “tweedious”
January 2, 2012 – 6:08 PM | 25 Comments
Word Of The Day: “tweedious”

tweedious. adj. 1. portmanteau of “twee” and “tedious.” 2. portmanteau of “tweet” and “tedious.”
I assumed the first definition is the obvious one, but when I said the word aloud with no context, Wing defined it …

Word Of The Day: “slam-drunk”
December 13, 2011 – 4:57 PM | 6 Comments
Word Of The Day: “slam-drunk”

My initial definition for “slam-drunk” was as follows:
slam-drunk. n. A beverage guaranteed to give you a working buzz-on in a single serving. (“The Gibsons at Oyster Bar are a slam-drunk, man.”)
But now I feel as …

Phrase Of The Day: “potaper cut”
November 10, 2011 – 8:24 PM | 7 Comments
Phrase Of The Day: “potaper cut”

potaper cut: n. A paper-cut-esque incision of the finger or knuckle caused by a very crisp potato chip. See also: “tuber-cuticle-osis.”

The Vine: November 9, 2011
November 9, 2011 – 12:56 PM | 45 Comments
The Vine: November 9, 2011

My cat is perfectly well-behaved and I am happily married (30 years later!) to my high-school sweetheart, so of course this must be a grammar issue. It seems that too many people have forgotten the …

Big Country Little Car Tour II, Day 12: Green River, WY to Elko, NV
August 7, 2011 – 12:53 PM | 8 Comments
Big Country Little Car Tour II, Day 12: Green River, WY to Elko, NV

I began the day in a mood of grim exhilaration: the route promised the most daunting driving yet. The locals have accustomed themselves to it, no doubt, and developed methods of timing their drives and …

The Animated Shorts 2011
February 24, 2011 – 10:16 AM | 11 Comments
The Animated Shorts 2011

Sarah 48, Death Race 8; 20 of 24 categories completed
The 2011 crop of animated shorts, like their live-action brethren, also came off less turgid than last year’s; I liked almost all of them. But I …

Word Of The Day: “chianteeth”
February 16, 2011 – 9:01 AM | 9 Comments
Word Of The Day: “chianteeth”

chianteeth (kee-ahn-teeth). n. 1. Discoloration of the teeth, lips, and tongue due to consumption of red wine. 2. The relative state of inebriation accompanying said discoloration, and resulting difficulty in denying same. Syn.: “grin-ot noir,” …

Bradelor! DUN!: And Ah Love It
January 25, 2011 – 5:30 PM | 15 Comments
Bradelor! DUN!: And Ah Love It

Sars: Michello!
Miss Alli: Oh my GOD, seriously. SHE IS INSANE.
Sars: I had a few moments last night where I thought, fleetingly, that her whole shtick is a giant put-on. Because who can actually act like …

Adventures In Pointed DVR-Pausing
January 11, 2011 – 8:39 PM | 30 Comments
Adventures In Pointed DVR-Pausing

The entire purpose of your flimsy-looking contraption is to strengthen the abdominals. AbdomiNals. Not one of the artistes responsible for either the ’80s-vintage illustrative graphics or the pornishly loving footage of the positively ropey-looking “after” …

Around the Audiosphere: “Boob-eyes!”
December 6, 2010 – 8:43 AM | 11 Comments
Around the Audiosphere: “Boob-eyes!”

I hope you will care to enjoy my rich baritone contributions to the Extra Hot Great podcast’s ninth episode, “C’est Magnifique,” in which we discussed a plethora of topics, including but not limited to the …