Lousy with Diamonds - 11 June 2012

<p>Can children adopted from other countries easily <b>re-learn their native languages</b> as adults? And if you're invited to an old-fashioned <b>pound party</b>, what should you bring? Also, regional names for those <b>wheeled contraptions</b> you use at the grocery, <b>summer reading recommendations</b>, and a <b>breed of cat</b> that's supposed to bring you riches and good luck. Plus, the <b>Tour de Franzia</b> (as in boxed wine), <b>police slang</b> from the 1940's, <b>mnemonics</b>, and a breed of cat that brings good luck and riches!<br /> <br /> Always remember: <i>Martha never ever makes <b>ornery noises</b> in church</i>. That is, of course, a mnemonic for the spelling of "<b>mnemonic</b>."<br /> <br /> When would you give a <b>pounding</b> to someone in need? When you're talking about a community coming together to give food staples to, say, the new family in town or a new bride and groom. The term <i>pounding</i>, also known as a <b>pound party</b>, derives from the early practice of bringing foodstuffs by the pound. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of <i>The Yearling</i>, once <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ea_MLwfaoMwC&pg=PA48&dq=%22marjorie+kinnan+rawlings%22+pound+party&hl=en&sa=X&ei=C-bLT8P-D4fY2QWqqJ3aCw&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">wrote about a pound party</a>, albeit one with a surprise ending.<br /> <br /> What slang do you use for "getting drunk"? Paul Dickson <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113212271">has collected</a> his share of terms for being drunk, as have, surprisingly enough, college students. How about <b>slizzered</b>, <b>schwasted</b>, or <b><a href="http://wesleyanargus.com/2012/04/09/administration-hopes-to-prevent-tour-de-franzia/">riding in the Tour de Franzia</a></b>?<br /> <br /> If it's cold as <b>all get-out</b>, you'll probably want to get to someplace warmer. The "get-out" in this informal expression might refer to being out in front, as in "the winner of all cold days," or it could be a mashup of "Doesn't that beat all!