Decoder Ring
Mailbag: Drug Names, Cow Abductions, and the “Ass-Intensifier”
43:31
In this episode we’re opening our mailbag to answer three fascinating questions from our listeners. How did “ass,” a word for donkeys and butts, become what linguists call an “intensifier” for just about everything? How do pharmaceuticals get their wacky names? And why do we all seem to think that aliens from outer space would travel to Earth just to kidnap our cows?
In this episode, you’ll…