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"Almost any name can become an adjective."

Indeed. Look at the adjective made from Patricia's name.

;)

On the -ola:
In Mazola and Canola, the "ola" comes from "oleum", or "oil". Mazola is corn oil, and Canola is "Canadian oil". I believe Canola was invented to replace the less marketable original name, "rapeseed oil".

Wikipedia says that the "ola" comes from oil, low acidity", and that canola oil is a specific variety of rapeseed oil.

I have a candidate for Word of the Year.

The word 'anxious' can have two opposite meanings. On the one hand, an event we are anxious about can be one to which we very much look forward and happily anticipate. On the other hand, we can truly dread the outcome of the event. In the second case, I propose we use the word 'anxietous', incorporating the word anxiety which carries more of a negative connotation.

Re foreign speakers use of "thanks god" - I believe it is short version of "thanks be to god"

Hi,

Just wanted to let WNYC know that the "on demand" function for this segment cuts off at about 6 minutes 30 seconds. Thanks!

To Matt:

I think "extra" in extraordinary comes from latim. Extra, I think, means "out" or "outside". So if something is extraordinary it stands out of the realm of "ordinary" things/normal course of events.

Regarding the word "extraordinary"

Doesn't putting "extra" in front of "ordinary" make it seem like something is more dull, or ordinary, rather than special or unique?

Please please please let's call for a moratorium on the NON word "oftentimes"

Sometimes is a word.
Oftentimes is NOT (though it has ended up in many dictionaries)
"often" does just fine.

Hey, thanks Graham! re: "sic"

I live in Queens and take the 59th street bridge to go home. As you know, this bridge has 2 levels. Upper level and lower level.
Why do we say "upper" and "lower" when the opposite of up is down and the opposite of low is high....?

my pet peeve of the year: pronouncing "versus" "verse"

sanction - are there other words with two, oppostie meanings?

ravel and unravel - which is preferred?

"More unique" just means more attributes are unique.

Why do radio hosts, when finishing a show, say "We'll see you tomorrow," when it's physically impossible. A better one: "Until tomorrow (or next time), goodbye."

Again from the German?: "change out" (the bulb, for instance), I guess, comes from the perfectly correct "auswechseln" ("aus" is "out," "wechseln" is "change").

ATM machine and PIN number drive me crazy...they're saying Automatic Teller Machine machine, Personal Identification Number number...

I know I should give up on this, but for some reason I can't...

In Scotland, which is where my husband is from, "Brawlicht" means "Brightly Lit", as in the poem, "It's Braw Licht, moonlicht nicht t'nicht"

Which means "its a brightly lit moonlit night tonight"

The phrase "spit and image" is often referred to as "spitting image". Isn't the former correct? Thanks!!

Hi,

Should I give up on trying to maintain the difference between "eager" and "anxious." I'm a prof at an online University and I make this correction all the time. It seems that the difference is disappearing.

Chris

One word a friend and I use this time of year is "Christeonormative"... to sum up how our culture sees Christianity and Christmas as the unquestioned norm, and everything else is seen in relation to that norm.

John Hahn:

The Riot Act, an actual British law, circa late 18th century, provided that, when this Act--which was enacted to break up assemblies, mobs, protests, etc. which were common during the period known as the "Enclosures" of former public common lands, etc.--was read aloud by a sherrif, or deputy or other authority, it made everyone present subject to arrest and the death penalty

"Yule" is derived from a Viking term for "Wheel". The celebration honored Winter Solstice as the passing of another year, which was likened to the metaphorical "turning of the wheel", the year, like a wheel, made another turn.

"On the Stump" is getting a lot of mention lately, does it originate from literally standing on a stump to give a political speech?

Could someone please kill the word "famously".

Thank you.

" SIC " is latin for "thus"
meaning, the word it follows is shown as it was or did appear. So, if an error was made in printing the word, the person who writes "sic" after it means, "thus"---"the word appeared that way"

Say you saw someone write,

"I met with Vice President Dick Chainey"

if, quoting that comment, you want the reader to know that it wasn't _you_ who misspelled "Chainey" you'd write

"Chainey (sic)"

Woot may just stick around. It is the name of a website woot.com for one deal each day.

Re: Yule

Jul (pronounced the same) is the word for Christmas in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish even today.

Word of the year: lopated

To be interrupted so frequently that you forget your original point.

isn't "ola" the Spanish suffix for big, as opposed to "ita" for small?

I get irritated when people use "rate of speed"; for example when they are referring to a car moving quickly. This seems redundant as speed is a rate (distance/time).

My Mother used to say, "Boy that will lay you out in Lavender"...Did they mean, lavender satin lining for a coffin or did they use lavender in funerals to diffuse the odors?

Curious about BRANDISHING a weapon.

Gracias!

My pet peeve is when people use the phrase "rate of speed" when referring to an object is moving quickly. I would think this is a misuse; do you agree?

Not a grammar question either:
How do you pronounce pecan? Pea-can or Pa-cahn?

What does the phrase 'Read the riot Act' mean?

What is the riot act?

Does it have to do anything with filibustering in the senate?

Love your time with Leonard!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

John

Where does " out in left field" come from? why not right field? LOL

Re; that statement came right out of left field "

not sure if this is technically a grammar question, but what is the origin of using (sic) in written text to indicate a misspelling or misuse of a word?