Nicknames Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies and the Vapors (Rebroadcast) - 11 Jan. 2010

[This episode originally aired April 5, 2008.]<br/><br/>Everybody has a nickname, and there's usually a story to go with it. Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behind them. Also, is the expression 'heebie-jeebies' anti-Semitic? And is there a better word than 'retiree' for someone who moves on from a job late in life?<br/><br/>Speaking of nicknames, the word 'nickname' has an interesting etymology. It's an example of a word formed by what linguists call 'misdivision.' More here. If you have a nickname you'd like to share (and hey, let's keep it clean, folks!), tell us about it in our discussion forum!<br/><br/>On to our callers:<br/><br/>A cantor from a synagogue in Nyack, New York, says she's fond of the expression 'the heebie-jeebies' but recently began worrying that it might be anti-Semitic. Did the term 'heebie-jeebies' originate as a slur against Jews? By the way, the hosts mention a cartoon with the earliest known use of the term.<br/><br/>An adult caller from Phoenix is stung by the memory of losing an elementary school spelling bee when he misspelled the word 'dilemma.' He insists that his teachers taught him that the word contains a silent 'n.' After all these years, he's still trying to find out whether 'dilemna' is an acceptable spelling.<br/><br/>Recently we discussed the lack of a word in English for the act of trying to do in your offline life something you can only do on a computer, like expecting spellcheck to kick in if you're scribbling a grocery list, for example. The hosts share suggestions emailed by listeners. How about 'e-flex'? Or might 'deja undo' do?<br/><br/>Quiz Guy John Chaneski presents a puzzle about homophones, in this case, words that sound just like participles that have lost their final 'g,' like 'button' and 'buttin'.' The first clue: 'Picture Vladimir Putin trying to catch a departing bus.'<br/><br/>A woman and her boss want to resolve a dispute over the words 'reoccuring' and 'recurring.' Which is correct if you're talking about something that happens