Varieties of Apple It is impossible to mistake an apple for another fruit even though they are grown in an immense number of varieties. The names they are often given is less descriptive than ideally warranted. Here is a list of some of the ones I have enjoyed but Lord knows there are many others, […]

Vernacular Toasting Expressions To compliment my list of foreign language toasting expressions I thought it would be a good idea to collect a few popular English language toasts popular in the US. Incidentally, the word “toast” describing the clinking of glasses along with the expression of happy wishes for those present, has an interesting origin. […]

Titles of Nobility Though titles of nobility are specifically prohibited in the US Constitution, they live on in anachronistic European, Asian and African kingdoms. Here are a few I stumbled across. Lord knows there are many more as privilege knows no blounds. Emperor/Empress Tsar/Tsarina King/Queen Prince/Princess Duke/Duchess Earl/Lady Baron/Baronette Marquis/Marquese Count/Countess Kaiser Fueher Emir Sultan […]

Television Westerns Hollywood made an extraordinary number of Western movies. With the advent of television, their popularity only increased. In fact, Westerns became the first genre that was copied over and over. Other genres emerged: family adventures, police and private detective dramas, medical dramas, sci-fi series, situation comedies and now reality TV.   Here are the […]

Synonyms for Prison Prison is called an assortment of things, probably because it helps to create euphemisms for such an unpleasant place. I discovered these mostly from watching old movies. There an an awful lot of movies set in prison. Wonder why? Big House Stir Slammer Hoosegow Clink Rock Tank Cage Hole Pen Barrel Pokey […]

Synonyms for Money I like synonyms used in the vernacular and those for money are particularly useful. Many of these are outdated but still interesting. My favorite is “velvet.” Cash Lucre Cabbage Lettuce Loot Skins Green/Greenbacks Scratch Clams Stacks Velvet Jack Screed Scrilla Bangers Hay Samoleans Moolah Dough Bucks Cream Cheese Bread Smackeroos

Synonyms for Intoxication In an earlier age, drunks were called dypsomanics. After Prohibition ended in 1933 the word Inebriate came into fashion to describe them. Now the formal noun most often used is Intoxication. Not surprisingly, a whole slew of slang expressions have emerged to label or describe the state of drunkenness and being high.  […]

Synonyms for Lunacy Everyone has been called Crazy a hundred times. Here are a few different ways to convey the same message. Nuts/Nutty Whacko/Whacky Daffy Goofy Stark-raving Mad Bonkers Dodgy Loopy Psycho Cuckoo Off Your Rocker Off Your Head  

Synonyms for Breasts No teen boy grew up without snickering at these synonyms for the female breast. I know there are many others missing here but I just can’t recall them. That’s a sure sign of aging. Tits Boobs Rack Bonkers Bazongas Melons Knockers Twins Girls Jugs Peaches Ta-tas Poms Hills Mounds Milkpacks Pancakes

Masked Super Heroes and Their Alter Egos, When Disclosed Super heroes are all the rage in Hollywood today due to the box-office they generate. But ever since the 1930’s when the first were introduced in comics, they’ve been popular in popular culture. But why they are always masked? Superman (Clark Kent) Batman (Bruce Wayne) The […]