Dawn, a listener from WRVO in Utica, NY, likes what she hears and wants more:
Can you please tell me the names of the musicians from the group you called ‘Fly-by-Night Trio’?
The Fly-by-Night Trio is made up of violinist Siri Smedvig, violinist Yisgav Gans, and cellist Tara Chambers. Visit our Musicians Archive to find out who played the music this week, last week, and every week, on Says You!
You owe the audience member who mentioned singing to the trees an apology. This is considered one of the accepted definitions of “wassailing:” The orchard-visiting wassail refers to the ancient custom of visiting orchards in cider-producing regions of England, reciting incantations and singing to the trees to promote a good harvest for the coming year. Also, to your panelists who mentioned drinks and gifts, another accepted definition is: The house-visiting wassail is the practice of people going door-to-door, singing and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in exchange for gifts. This practice still exists, but has largely been displaced by caroling.
I’ve been listening since day 1 and still love your show. I’m trying to track down a bit more info on a clue that I can’t seem to find. In one of the earlier episodes . . . the clue was “the movement of a dog’s tail (i.e., wagging).” But a general dictionary search can’t find the word.
Laura from Pasadena, Ca listens to Says You! on KAZU. She’s also not afraid to let anyone know she’s well read in pulpy mystery novels.
I was surprised none of the panelists knew the meaning of secateurs. I first saw the word in Ruth Rendell’s mystery “Deadhead,” in which deadheading roses is part of the plot. Since then, I’ve seen it several times in British novels and have begun to use it myself as more elegant than pruning shears.
Dear reader, we have a mystery of our own. Ruth Rendell, nor her pseudonym Barbara Vine, ever published a novel titled “Deadhead.” A case of mistaken identity? Misattributed title? Or something far more sinister… If you have the answers we seek, please, do tell us in the comments.
Steve, a KAZU listener from the Monterey/Pacific Grove area, reminded us that the Says You! gang has never been known for our athleticism:
This Saturday’s show had a question about the meaning of “goofy footed”. The contestant was correct that the term is related to footedness, but (if I heard correctly) was wrong about which foot is forward. Goofy footers surf, skateboard, snowboard, etc. with their RIGHT foot forward. Perhaps ironically, most goofy footers are left handed.
Love the show.
As Steve points out, to stand with your RIGHT foot toward the nose of a surfboard is ‘goofy,’ standing with your left foot forward is ‘regular.’ Our Says You! crack research team attempted to confirm these findings for ourselves. It ended with our noses on the ground and our feet in the air – we’ll call that goofy for sure.
Paul from Watertown, MA and a listener on WGBH wants to know,
We just re-listend to a show from season 9 where one of the bluffing words was “recumbentibus.” What is the longest word that you’ve used?
It’s a three-way tie for longest bluffing word we’ve ever used; each has 14 letters:
castrametation
omphaloskepsis
scobberlotcher
And “recumbentibus” is just one of six 13-letter words we’ve used:
deipnosophist
embranglement
pandiculation
recumbentibus
ticdouloureux
vaccimulgence
Do you have a double-digit letter word you think can stump our panelists? Send us your bluffs, rounds, and factoids using our “Got a Good One?” page!
After listening to episode our episode from Colchester, VT (SY-2120), A from Madison, WI left us this note about Flehmen.
The (I think) larger number of people who have cats than horses have, no doubt observed flehmening in their felines–and it doesn’t have a sound. I think it exposes a very acute olfactory area, but you would have to consult a veterinarian to confirm that.
A, we’re not veterinarians, so we can’t help you out with your acute olfactory, but we can say a thing or two about our bluffing round. The definition on Paula’s card was: “flehmen — (of horses and other animals) To inhale with the upper lip curled back. Origin: German.” The card specifically mentioned horses because the effect is much more visually dramatic in horses than in cats.
Exhibit A: 
We’re sure that many cat owners have observed this very flattering look, but for those of us who don’t own a cat, the image of a horse flehmen is pretty distinct. Paula never mentioned that flehmen has a sound, but as some of you might have just found out, if you try to flehmen it can be a little noisy.
In honor of all animals who flehmen, a look at some of the best.
Howard, a KXJZ 90.9 listener in Sacramento, CA, poses this hypothetical:
In Says You, the panel is given a word to define; one person has a card that provides the definition, two others have cards that tell them to make up a definition as a bluff. Fun Game !
My question: Has any panelist made up a bluff that was coincidentally, and accidentally, the correct definition ?
In 21 years of shows this coincidence has never happened. We have had some close calls though, such as panelists creating two separate bluffs that coincidentally and accidentally are quite similar. This season 7 classic from the Isle of Martha’s Vineyard features a bluffing incident of its own. Listen to what happens when one of our panelists actually knows the bluff!
Tammy discovered our show in Boston, but now she listens from Palatine, IL. With the Says You! podcast listen wherever, whenever.
I’ve been listening for years, as my dad and I found you years ago on WGBH in Boston. Imagine my delight to find Says You again via podcast where I can listen whenever I like. You recently aired a classic episode with Richard where we had the word antediluvian in a spelling round. I remember that word from a previous episode, although I’m not sure if it was a bluffing round or a definitions & derivations round. What I do remember is someone (Maybe Tony?) suggesting that antediluvian was the woman who married uncle diluvian. I would love to hear that silly bit again if you can find it.
Tammy we’re looking for Aunt Diluvian now and will let you know as soon as we find her! Do you have a favorite word or round you’d like to hear again? Let us know any maybe you’ll hear it on air!
Tammy discovered our show in Boston, but now she listens from Palatine, IL. With the Says You! podcast listen wherever, whenever.
I’ve been listening for years, as my dad and I found you years ago on WGBH in Boston. Imagine my delight to find Says You again via podcast where I can listen whenever I like. You recently aired a classic episode with Richard where we had the word antediluvian in a spelling round. I remember that word from a previous episode, although I’m not sure if it was a bluffing round or a definitions & derivations round. What I do remember is someone (Maybe Tony?) suggesting that antediluvian was the woman who married uncle diluvian. I would love to hear that silly bit again if you can find it.
Tammy we’re looking for Aunt Diluvian now and will let you know as soon as we find her! Do you have a favorite word or round you’d like to hear again? Let us know any maybe you’ll hear it on air!
