A Way With Words
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Got Your Six - 13 May 2013
Starting this year, Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants not only have to spell words correctly. A controversial new rule means they'll have to answer vocabulary questions, too. Also, when it comes to reading text, do you prefer "paper" or "plastic"? Some research suggests that comprehension is slightly better when you read offline instead of on a screen. And the term winkle out, plus bike slang, the military origin of I've got your six, why the word awfully isn't awful, and where...
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Nothing to Sneeze At (Rebroadcast) - 6 May 2013
This week, forensic linguists use what they know about speech and writing to testify in courtrooms. And get out your hankies! Martha and Grant are talking about the language of sneezing. And what do you call it when you clean the house in a hurry because company's coming? How about "making lasagna" or "shame cleaning"? Plus who's a hoopie, down goes your shanty, hold on to your blueberry money, and gym slang fit for a cardio queen. FULL DETAILSHaving trouble sneezing? You may be suffering...
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Gone Pecan (Rebroadcast) - 29 April 2013
How did the word "gay" go from meaning "happy" to "homosexual"? Martha and Grant discuss the evolution of this word. Also, why are elementary schools sometimes called grammar schools? Plus, imeldific, gone pecan, random Scrabble words, and the difference between borrow and lend. And the etiquette of striking up a conversation with a stranger in an English pub: Whatever you do, don't introduce yourself or try to shake hands. FULL DETAILSWhen you're playing Scrabble or Words with Friends, do...
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Dog-and-Pony Show (Rebroadcast) - 22 April 2013
Remember getting caught sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G? Grant and Martha wax nostalgic on some classic schoolyard rhymes. What do you call your offspring once they've grown up? Adult children? How about kid-ults? Plus, is there really such a thing as a dog-and-pony show? What does a dog chewing waspers look like? Also, the reason the words valuable and invaluable aren't opposites.FULL DETAILSWhat's your favorite schoolyard rhyme? Maybe it's the singsong taunt that goes "Girls go to college...
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Good Juju (Rebroadcast) - 15 April 2013
Imagine a time when heroin was marketed for the whole family. It really happened. Also, how Twitter, MM's, and Hallmark cards got their names. Plus, restaurant slang, bad juju, having a wild hair, cutting to the quick, and use vs. utilize.FULL DETAILSNancy Friedman's blog Fritinancy is a great source of information about how products get their names. For example, the names Twitch and Jitter were rejected before the creators of Twitter finally settled on the famous moniker.The idiom I've got...
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What is a Hipster (Rebroadcast) - 8 April 2013
Get out your skinny jeans and pass the PBR! Martha and Grant discuss the definition of the word hipster. Also, what happens when you pull a brodie? And why do we describe something cheap or poorly made as cheesy? Also, sawbucks, pulling a brodie, shoestring budgets, the origins of bootlegging, and cabbie lingo, including the slang word bingo.FULL DETAILSA former cabbie shares his favorite jargon, like green pea and making your nut. Someone waving down an occupied cab is known as a bingo, and...
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A Hole to China - 1 April 2013
Have a question about objective pronouns? Whom ya gonna call? Wait--is that right? Or would it be "who ya gonna call"? "Whom" may be technically correct, but insisting on it can get you called an elitist. It's enough to make you nervous as a polecat in a perfume parlor! And if you really want to dig a hole all the way to China, don't start anywhere in the continental United States--you'll come out at the bottom of the ocean! Plus, how to pronounce the name of the Show-Me State, catfishing,...
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Crazy Crossword Clues (Rebroadcast) - 25 March 2013
Should youngsters learn cursive handwriting in school? Plus, someone can be ruthless, but can that same person be ruthful? Which word refers to something larger, humongous or gargantuan? Also, funny newspaper corrections, a crossword quiz, Texas idioms, and new version of Three Blind Mice with an upgraded vocabulary.FULL DETAILSEven the best newspaper reporters make mistakes. Heres an unfortunately funny correction about the My Little Pony character a young woman thinks about to cheer...
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Whistling Dixie - 18 March 2013
Today's most popular dog names are Max and Bella. In the Middle Ages, though, dogs would answer to names like Amiable. Or Nosewise. Or even . . . Clench. And is the term redneck derogatory? Some folks proudly claim that name. They say it's high time they were redneckcognized. Also, the origin of the phrase rule of thumb, whistling Dixie, the eephus pitch, terms for flabby underarms, and craptastic substitutes for swear words, like Sacapuntas!FULL DETAILSGrant and Martha recently served as...
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Gnarly Foot - 11 March 2013
It's the Up Goer Five Challenge! Try to describe something complex using only the thousand most common words in English. It's a useful mental exercise that's harder than you might think. Also, if you want to make a room dark, you might turn off the lights. But you might also cut them off or shut them. You probably know the experience of hearing or seeing a word so long that it ceases to make sense. But did you know linguists have a term for that? Plus, cumshaw artists, the history of Hoosier...
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Bump and Grind - 4 March 2013
Remember a few years ago when Amazon introduced that mysterious device called a Kindle? People worried that electronic readers would replace traditional books. Turns out the death of the hardcover was greatly exaggerated. Also, the expression "bump and grind" doesn't always mean what you think. Plus, the origin of jet black, the roots of fugacious, a game called Goin' to Texas, and how to punctuate the term y'all. And is there anything express about espresso? FULL DETAILSRemember the olden...
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Two Shades of Grey (Rebroadcast) - 25 February 2013
You've probably noticed how work always seems to expand to fill the time given to complete it. But did you know there's a term for that? Also this week, the New England exclamation So don't I!, gray vs. gray, stories in a building, being squiffy, having chops, getting involved in pull-hauls, nubby Pennsylvanians, and a modern Greek idiom about hiccups and burning ears. FULL DETAILSIf you're feeling squiffy, it means you're drunk, especially in 19th century British slang. If someone has a...
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Raining Cats and Dogs (Rebroadcast) - 18 February 2013
Get out your umbrellas -- it's raining pitchforks and . . . bullfrogs? This week, it's odd expressions that mean "a heavy downpour." Also, holistic vs. wholistic, recurrence vs. reoccurrence, flash drive vs. thumb drive, whether it's good or bad to be jacked up, stomach Steinways and bunheads, and the origin of listless. And not to mince words, but what does the expression "not to mince words" really mean? FULL DETAILSIn what profession would you deal with clams, footballs, hairpins, and...
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Gracious Plenty - 11 February 2013
When somebody sneezes, you say, Bless you or Gesundheit. But suppose that person coughs. Are you supposed to say something--or are they? Plus, Mexican standoffs, gracious plenty, linguistic false friends, southpaw vs. northpaw, the slang of rabbit fanciers, a quiz about animal noises, and where to find a purple squirrel. And what's so humbling about winning an award? FULL DETAILSWhen you think of the word binky, a child's pacifier probably comes to mind. But it's also a term known among...
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Cute As a Button - 4 February 2013
Did you ever wonder why we capitalize the pronoun "I," but not any other pronoun? There's a reason, and it may not be what you think. Also, the romantic story behind our term "halcyon days," the origin of the phrase "like white on rice," and the linguistic scuttlebutt on the word scuttlebutt. Plus, a pun-laden word game, hold your peace vs. hold your piece, nixie on your tintype, and no skin off my nose.FULL DETAILSListeners have been posting photos of themselves with their favorite words on...
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South End of a Chicken - 28 January 2013
Are your nightstand books all over the place? Why not stack 'em into a bookmash? A bookmash is a kind of found poetry formed from book titles! And we all know that honesty is the best policy. But does that mean you should correct the grammar of your daughter's teacher? Plus, texting lingo in everyday speech, the proper use of the word "penultimate," and what it means to have the south end of a chicken flying north. And what's up with pedantic gentlemen having to mansplain everything? FULL...
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Like a Bad Penny (Rebroadcast) - 21 January 2013
What did you call the cliques in your high school? Were you a member of the nerds, the jocks, or maybe the "grits" or the "heshers"? Also, what's the meaning of the phrase "rolling in the deep"? Why do we say something's returned "like a bad penny"? And is it proper to refer to our recent economic problems "the Great Recession"? Plus, favorite letters of the alphabet, taking umbrage, fudgies vs. flatlanders, and washrag vs. washcloth. FULL DETAILSNow that the Encyclopedia Britannica is going...
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The Horse You Rode In On (Rebroadcast) - 14 January 2013
What colorful language do you use to when you're angry and tempted to use a four-letter word? There's a difference between cursing and cussing: It takes a slow mind to curse, but an active, vibrant mind to cuss. Also, what it means to be stove up, the phrases the horse you rode in on, and it's all chicken but the gravy, plus a couple of handy synonyms for armpit. And when, if ever, can you trust Wikipedia? FULL DETAILSThe hadal zone, named for the Greek god Hades, refers to the deepest...
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The Shank of the Evening (Rebroadcast) - 7 January 2013
What time is it if it's "the crack of chicken"? And when exactly is the "shank of the evening"? How do you pronounce the word spelled H-O-V-E-R? Did Warren G. Harding really coin the word normalcy? Also, a name game, sports nicknames, flounder vs. founder, Laundromats vs. washaterias, Black Dutch, nosebaggers, medical slang terms, and a look back at the joys of the early internet.FULL DETAILSWhen a car rolls slowly through a stop sign, it's often called a California stop or a California roll...
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Rock, Paper, Scissors (Rebroadcast) - 30 December 2012
Does the thought of going without your cellphone fill you with separation anxiety? Grant and Martha coin some monikers for this modern-day phobia. Also, what's the best way to win at the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors? Where might you fry eggs in a spider, and where would you refer to a Band-Aid as a plaster? Could sending your child to a language immersion school help the whole family learn a new language? Where'd we get the expression When in Rome, do as the Romans do? Also, Yiddish...
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Clean As a Whistle - 24 December 2012
Finding that special bottle of wine can be tough, and even tougher if you're not fluent in winespeak. "Strawberries, rhubarb, and hints of leather are present in the nose." Say what? We discuss the sometimes baffling language of wine. Plus, many folks wish each other "Merry Christmas." But why don't we use the word "merry" with anything else? Anyone ever wished you a "Merry Birthday"? Also, Grant shares some of his picks for Word of the Year 2012, and Quiz Guy John Chaneski presents his...
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Help support A Way with Words today
This year, generous gifts from people like you made a difference: We're producing more new episodes than ever. We're taking our mission into communities by partnering with educational and cultural institutions like National University, the San Diego Museum of Art, the State University of New York at Potsdam, Ferrum College, and literacy organizations. And we're working with high school students. A Way with Words receives no money from any radio station or government agency. No NPR funding....
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Pie in the Sky - 17 December 2012
Looking for a book to read with the kids, or maybe a guide to becoming a better writer? Plus, why are leg cramps called charley horses? And where'd we get a phrase like "pie in the sky"? If you happen to be tall, you've no doubt heard plenty of clueless comments from strangers. A listener who's 6-foot-8 shares his favorite snappy comebacks. Plus, a word quiz for math lovers, bathroom euphemisms, johnny-on-the-spot, and the biggest palmetto bugs in the land!FULL DETAILSSome call it quitting...
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Little Pitchers - 10 December 2012
Can reading poetry make you a better writer? Grant and Martha discuss how reading poetry improves your prose. Also, how linguists guess where you come from based on how you speak. And what do you call someone who picks the chocolate out of the trail mix? Plus, champing at the bit, rutching around, kerfuffles and kerfluffles, pear-shaped, and little pitchers with big ears!FULL DETAILSCan reading poetry make you a better writer? The way poetry pushes up against the rules of grammar makes it a...
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Kissed Her on the Stairs - 3 December 2012
Do Americans use the same sign language as the Brits? And what do Japanese people use instead of "umm?" Grant and Martha cover language shifts across the globe. Plus, why we vote at polling places? And what goes into File 13? All this, plus a word quiz, commode vs toilet, saditty and bougie, and cute stuff that kids say!FULL DETAILSAll languages evolve, and sign language is no exception. The British Sign Language Corpus Project has collected footage of nearly 250 deaf people across the U.K....
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Mute Point (Rebroadcast) - 26 November 2012
What do you call it when you roll through a stop sign without ever coming to a complete stop? A California stop, a Michigan stop -- or something else? And if someone calls you a voracious reader, would you be flattered or insulted? Also, Puddin Tame, the outmoded design elements called skeuomorphs, a clever Spanish proverb, moot vs. mute point, and the meaning of the military slang term "go hermantile."FULL DETAILSWhy do we make a hand crank motion when asking someone to roll down their...
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A Dancer Who Walks for a Living - 19 November 2012
You dream of writing the great American novel, but to make ends meet, you spend your days writing boring corporate reports. There's a difference between writing for love and writing for a livingor is there? And does a heyday have anything to do with hay? Did getting dressed to kill originally refer to soldiers? Plus, toad-in-the-hole, deadwoods, due diligence, kibosh, clues, and an election-year word puzzle.FULL DETAILSBeing a writer and making a living as a writer are often two different...
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Make a Train Take a Dirt Road - 12 November 2012
Remember the classic films Dogumentary and $3000? Those were their working titles, before they became Best In Show and Pretty Woman. We look at how movie titles evolve and change. Also, is Spanglish a real language? Plus, balaclavas, teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, buying liquor at the packie, making a train take a dirt road, and that weird sensation when you meet a stranger you feel like you already know from your friends' Facebook updates!FULL DETAILSWould some Hollywood classics...
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The One Who Brung You - 5 November 2012
You've been reading a book but you're just not into it. How do you quit it, guilt-free? How do you break up with a book? Also, what do you ask for when you go through the grocery checkout line: bag, sack, or something else? Plus, brung vs. brought, a swim swim, cuddywifters, pinstriped cookie-pushers, a road trip word game, and more.FULL DETAILSHow do you know if it's time to break up with a book? You've into the book 50, maybe a 100 pages, but you're just not into it. Is there something...
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Can Of Worms - 22 October 2012
What do you call a guy with a bald pate? A chrome dome? Maybe the lucky fellow is sporting a solar panel for a sex machine. Also, which would you rather open: a can of worms or Pandora's Box? Plus, ordinary vs. ornery, versing vs. versus, dishwater vs. ditchwater, the copyediting term stet, still hunts, and doozies. And if someone's a phony, is he a four-flusher or a floor-flusher? Maybe he's also a piece of work.FULL DETAILSHas anyone collected the stuff bald people say? How about a busy...
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Nothing to Sneeze At - 15 October 2012
This week, forensic linguists use what they know about speech and writing to testify in courtrooms. And get out your hankies! Martha and Grant are talking about the language of sneezing. And what do you call it when you clean the house in a hurry because company's coming? How about "making lasagna" or "shame cleaning"? Plus who's a hoopie, down goes your shanty, hold on to your blueberry money, and gym slang fit for a cardio queen. FULL DETAILSHaving trouble sneezing? You may be suffering...
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Gone Pecan - 8 October 2012
How did the word "gay" go from meaning "happy" to "homosexual"? Martha and Grant discuss the evolution of this word. Also, why are elementary schools sometimes called grammar schools? Plus, imeldific, gone pecan, random Scrabble words, and the difference between borrow and lend. And the etiquette of striking up a conversation with a stranger in an English pub: Whatever you do, don't introduce yourself or try to shake hands. FULL DETAILSWhen you're playing Scrabble or Words with Friends, do...
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Dog-and-Pony Show - 1 October 2012
Remember getting caught sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G? Grant and Martha wax nostalgic on some classic schoolyard rhymes. What do you call your offspring once they've grown up? Adult children? How about kid-ults? Plus, is there really such a thing as a dog-and-pony show? What does a dog chewing waspers look like? Also, the reason the words valuable and invaluable aren't opposites.FULL DETAILSWhat's your favorite schoolyard rhyme? Maybe it's the singsong taunt that goes "Girls go to college...
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Good Juju - 24 September 2012
Imagine a time when heroin was marketed for the whole family. It really happened. Also, how Twitter, MM's, and Hallmark cards got their names. Plus, restaurant slang, bad juju, having a wild hair, cutting to the quick, and use vs. utilize.FULL DETAILSNancy Friedman's blog Fritinancy is a great source of information about how products get their names. For example, the names Twitch and Jitter were rejected before the creators of Twitter finally settled on the famous moniker.The idiom I've got...
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The Uncanny Valley (Rebroadcast) - 17 September 2012
Do you ever wonder why the almost-human characters that appear in video games can seem downright creepy? That disturbing sensation is called "the uncanny valley." Speaking of creepy, do you know someone with a morbid fear of clowns? There's a term for that, too. Why do politicians suspend a campaign instead of just ending it? How is it that the sentence Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo actually makes sense? Plus, onomatopoeia for the digital age, a magic word...
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Kissing Games (Rebroadcast) - 10 September 2012
What's the best way to help your child learn to speak a foreign language? One option is an immersion school, where teachers avoid speaking English. Also, did you ever play paddle while riding in a car? It's a game that's supposed to help courting couples get closer. Plus, what your signature says about you, what to call that last hors d'oeuvre on a plate, sitting on your tuchus, alphabet riddles, old camp songs, soup to nuts, and the weather-related phrase Who let the hawk out?FULL...
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The Rubber Match - 3 Sept. 2012 (rebroadcast)
SHOW SUMMARY Survey time! Do you call that kind of cap a beanie, a toboggan, or a stocking hat, or something else? What about rubber-soled athletic shoes? Do you call them sneakers or tennis shoes? Also, great Scrabble words, feeling owly, Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!, finjans and zarfs, catching plagiarism with mountweazels, and the art of long sentences. It's a larrupin' good episode! FULL DETAILS What do you call a knitted cap? A beanie? A toboggan? A stocking hat? Grant's Great Knitted Hat...
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Strange Spelling Bee Words (Rebroadcast) - 27 August 2012
Why do spelling bees include such bizarre, obsolete words like cymotrichous? And why is New York called the Big Apple? Also, the stinky folk medicine tradition called an asifidity bag. Worn around the neck like an amulet, these smelly bags supposedly keep away cold and flu. Also, the surprising number of common English phrases that come directly from the King James Bible. Plus, three sheets to the wind, the term white elephant, in like Flynn, Australian slang, and what to call foam sleeve...
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The Secret Language of Gibberish (Rebroadcast) - 20...
What do pigs have to do with piggyback rides? Martha and Grant have the answer. They also get a lesson from a listener in the fine art of speaking gibberish. And what's the correct way to pronounce the name of the nut spelled p-e-c-a-n? Pee-KAHN or PEE-can? The French have the Academie Francaise, but what authority do we have for the English language? Also, what you should do when someone yells, "Hold 'er Newt! She's headed for the barn!"FULL DETAILSMartha and Grant share some favorite...
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By Jingo (Rebroadcast) - 13 August 2012
If your friend says she's coming to town "Sunday week," exactly when should you expect to see her? And what do you call those typographical symbols that cartoonists use in place of profanity? Martha and Grant have the answer. Plus grass widows, the linguistic phenomenon called creaky voice, the difference between insure and ensure, the roots of the term jingoism and what it means if someone warns You don't believe fat meat is greasy. Also, is it okay to make a noun out of a verb?FULL...
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Like a Boss (Rebroadcast) - 6 August 2012
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's . . . "witches knickers"? Well, what do YOU call those stray plastic bags littering the landscape? Also, what it means to do something "like a boss," how to hyphenate correctly, and why we say we have a "crush" on someone. What do you call when you meet someone for the first time, and they ask if you know so-and-so, just because you share an area code? Also, similes from the 1800s, a rule on hyphens, and the truth about what happens when you turn a bull loose...
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A Murmuration of Starlings (Rebroadcast) - 30 July 2012
If you've ever eaten Flavor-Crisp Chicken, it was probably served with JoJo potatoes. And speaking of fried chicken, ever wonder why colonel isn't pronounced "KOH-loh-nell"? Grant and Martha have the answers to those nagging little questions, like the difference between a turnpike and a highway, and the rules on me versus I. Who's behind those eponyms in anatomy, and why are doctors phasing them out? Plus, a newsy limerick challenge, dog breed mashups, pallets, a little Spanglish, and a list...
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Not the Thongs You're Thinking Of (Rebroadcast) - 23...
Is it cool for parents to use their children's slang? What's wrong with the term "illegal alien"? Grant and Martha discuss possible alternatives. The catchphrase Who's Yehudi refers to the mysterious character who holds up strapless dresses, turns the light on in the fridge, and does lots of other things we can't see. But why Yehudi? Also, terms from the dictionary of anatomy, an idiom puzzle, putzing around, out of pocket, long in the tooth, and the ancient roots of the folksy expression...
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The Whole Kit and Caboodle (Rebroadcast) - 16 July 2012
Nothing brightens up an email like an emoticon. But is it appropriate to include a smiley face in an email to your boss? Also, what do time management experts mean when they say you should start each day by "eating the frog"? Plus, the story behind the phrase "the whole kit and caboodle," and some book recommendations for language lovers. If you see the trash can as half-full, are you an optimist or a pessimist? A puzzle involving breakfast cereals, the difference between adept and deft, and...
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Why Do Auctioneers Talk So Fast (Rebroadcast) - 9 July...
Why do auctioneers talk so fast? Martha and Grant discuss the rapid-fire speech of auctioneers, and how it gets you to bid higher. Also, why so many books have ridiculously long titles, where you'd have sonker for dessert, and an appreciation of that children's classic, "The Phantom Tollbooth." Plus, different from vs. different than, the origin of suss out, words that apparently entered English in 1937, and the many names for those little gray bugs that roll up into a ball.FULL DETAILSWhat...
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Things Parents Say (Rebroadcast) - 2 July 2012
Ever drop a reference that just makes you sound, well, of a certain age? Grant and Martha discuss slang that's often lost on a younger or older generation. Why is the entree the main course? Shouldn't it come first? And why is the letter k silent in knot and knight? Plus, the right way to say the, a remedy for the superstition of splitting the pole, names for the toes straight from Mother Goose, the difference between finished and done, and a special word quiz for all you zombie fans!FULL...
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What's a Hipster?
Get out your skinny jeans and pass the PBR! Martha and Grant discuss the definition of the word hipster. Also, what happens when you pull a brodie? And why do we describe something cheap or poorly made as cheesy? Also, sawbucks, pulling a brodie, shoestring budgets, the origins of bootlegging, and cabbie lingo, including the slang word bingo. FULL DETAILS A former cabbie shares his favorite jargon, like green pea and making your nut. Someone waving down an occupied cab is known as a bingo,...
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Crazy Crossword Clues - 18 June 2012
Should youngsters learn cursive handwriting in school? Plus, someone can be ruthless, but can that same person be ruthful? Which word refers to something larger, humongous or gargantuan? Also, funny newspaper corrections, a crossword quiz, Texas idioms, and new version of Three Blind Mice with an upgraded vocabulary.FULL DETAILSEven the best newspaper reporters make mistakes. Heres an unfortunately funny correction about the My Little Pony character a young woman thinks about to cheer...
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Lousy with Diamonds - 11 June 2012
Can children adopted from other countries easily re-learn their native languages as adults? And if you're invited to an old-fashioned pound party, what should you bring? Also, regional names for those wheeled contraptions you use at the grocery, summer reading recommendations, and a breed of cat that's supposed to bring you riches and good luck. Plus, the Tour de Franzia (as in boxed wine), police slang from the 1940's, mnemonics, and a breed of cat that brings good luck and riches! Always...
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Two Shades of Grey - 4 June 2012
You've probably noticed how work always seems to expand to fill the time given to complete it. But did you know there's a term for that? Also this week, the New England exclamation So don't I!, gray vs. gray, stories in a building, being squiffy, having chops, getting involved in pull-hauls, nubby Pennsylvanians, and a modern Greek idiom about hiccups and burning ears. FULL DETAILSIf you're feeling squiffy, it means you're drunk, especially in 19th century British slang. If someone has a...
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Raining Cats and Dogs - 28 May 2012
Get out your umbrellas -- it's raining pitchforks and . . . bullfrogs? This week, it's odd expressions that mean "a heavy downpour." Also, holistic vs. wholistic, recurrence vs. reoccurrence, flash drive vs. thumb drive, whether it's good or bad to be jacked up, stomach Steinways and bunheads, and the origin of listless. And not to mince words, but what does the expression "not to mince words" really mean? FULL DETAILSIn what profession would you deal with clams, footballs, hairpins, and...
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Why Do Girls Wear Pink (Rebroadcast) - 21 May 2012
We all know that the color pink is for boys and the color blue is for girls--at least, that's how it was 100 years ago. Grant and Martha share the surprising history behind the colors we associate with gender. Plus, we go rollin' in our hooptie, play a game of guess-that-Google-search, and get some tips on how to avoid getting swindled by our real estate agent! Also, new terms for failed software upgrades, some sugar-coated snark from across the pond, and a new way to show sarcasm in a text...
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Books With a Letter Missing (Rebroadcast) - 14 May 2012
Remember those children's classics, the Velveteen Rabbi and The Little Price? The Twitterverse is abound with these books with a letter missing. And it turns out there's some pimping going on in our hospitals, but it's not what you'd think. Grant and Martha clear up the plead vs pleaded debate, touch on the use of product, and trace the history of shambles. Plus, a word puzzle with nursery rhymes, a map of regional grammar, and plenty of crazy vocab, from popinjays to the tee na na!FULL...
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Like a Bad Penny - 7 May 2012
What did you call the cliques in your high school? Were you a member of the nerds, the jocks, or maybe the "grits" or the "heshers"? Also, what's the meaning of the phrase "rolling in the deep"? Why do we say something's returned "like a bad penny"? And is it proper to refer to our recent economic problems "the Great Recession"? Plus, favorite letters of the alphabet, taking umbrage, fudgies vs. flatlanders, and washrag vs. washcloth. FULL DETAILSNow that the Encyclopedia Britannica is going...
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The Horse You Rode In On - 30 April 2012
What colorful language do you use to when you're angry and tempted to use a four-letter word? There's a difference between cursing and cussing: It takes a slow mind to curse, but an active, vibrant mind to cuss. Also, what it means to be stove up, the phrases the horse you rode in on, and it's all chicken but the gravy, plus a couple of handy synonyms for armpit. And when, if ever, can you trust Wikipedia? FULL DETAILS The hadal zone, named for the Greek god Hades, refers to the deepest...
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Shank of the Evening - 23 April 2012
What time is it if it's "the crack of chicken"? And when exactly is the "shank of the evening"? How do you pronounce the word spelled H-O-V-E-R? Did Warren G. Harding really coin the word normalcy? Also, a name game, sports nicknames, flounder vs. founder, Laundromats vs. washaterias, Black Dutch, nosebaggers, medical slang terms, and a look back at the joys of the early internet.FULL DETAILSWhen a car rolls slowly through a stop sign, it's often called a California stop or a California roll...
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Going All City (Rebroadcast) - 16 April 2012
Have you been dining on a budget lately? Martha recommends the necessity mess, potato bargain, and other tasty regional foods that won't break the bank. Plus, what's a doomaflatchie? And what do you have to do before you rest on your laurels? Grant and Martha share idioms, proverbs, and paraprosdokians, those sayings that take a sudden, unexpected turn. Plus cryptic crosswords, graffiti slang, and new ways to read your favorite magazines.FULL DETAILSDining on a budget? Just whip up some...
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The College Slang Party (Rebroadcast) - 9 April 2012
What would you wear to an ABC party? Hint: the letters stand for "Anything But Clothes." Any guesses what you'd wear to a tight-and-bright party? Martha gives a taste of the college party terminology from a slang collection compiled by Penn State student Emily Grier. http://bit.ly/qpxAB0Are you left hanging by the invitation Do you want to come with? A Milwaukee native is proud of this regionalism, which means "Do you want to come along?" Grant explains that it may derive from the German...
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Him and I or Him and Me (Rebroadcast) - 2 April 2012
If someone offered you a croaker with an old man's face, would you accept? You should! Croaker is a slang term for "hundred dollar bill." And did you ever wonder why we turn UP the A.C. to bring the temperature down? Grant and Martha ponder that question. Plus, the tricky debate over me vs. I, the byzantine story behind the word byzantine, whether paper toweling is a real noun, and a couple of name games. Also, Grant recommends some dictionaries and teaching guides for the new school...
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Rock Paper Scissors - 26 March 2012
Does the thought of going without your cellphone fill you with separation anxiety? Grant and Martha coin some monikers for this modern-day phobia. Also, what's the best way to win at the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors? Where might you fry eggs in a spider, and where would you refer to a Band-Aid as a plaster? Could sending your child to a language immersion school help the whole family learn a new language? Where'd we get the expression When in Rome, do as the Romans do? Also, Yiddish...
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Mute Point - 19 March 2012
What do you call it when you roll through a stop sign without ever coming to a complete stop? A California stop, a Michigan stop -- or something else? And if someone calls you a voracious reader, would you be flattered or insulted? Also, Puddin Tame, the outmoded design elements called skeuomorphs, a clever Spanish proverb, moot vs. mute point, and the meaning of the military slang term "go hermantile."FULL DETAILSWhy do we make a hand crank motion when asking someone to roll down their...
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The Uncanny Valley - 12 March 2012
Do you ever wonder why the almost-human characters that appear in video games can seem downright creepy? That disturbing sensation is called "the uncanny valley." Speaking of creepy, do you know someone with a morbid fear of clowns? There's a term for that, too. Why do politicians suspend a campaign instead of just ending it? How is it that the sentence Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo actually makes sense? Plus, onomatopoeia for the digital age, a magic word...
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The Bees Knees (Rebroadcast) - 5 March 2012
Let's put the moose on the table: You have questions, and Grant and Martha have answers. For example, why would someone have an albatross around his neck? And what's so cool about bees' knees, anyway? Plus, jockey boxes, bailiwicks, and cute names for loved ones, from snookums to bubula. If a bartender ever serves you a mat shot, don't try to beast it. You'll regret it in the morning. FULL DETAILS What pet names do you have for your loved ones? In The Joys of Yiddish, Leo Rosten shares the...
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Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It (Rebroadcast) - 27...
Which came first, orange the color or orange the fruit? And what's a busman's holiday? Martha and Grant talk about bumbershoots, brollies, nursery rhymes, and alternatives to the word "unicycle." Plus, an app-inspired quiz, favorite oxymorons, and the origin of "put that in your pipe and smoke it"! If the Google Books Corpus doesn't sound like fun, think again. And by the way, shouldn't more than one company be allowed to sell Monopoly? FULL DETAILSYou know those words whose meanings never...
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Kissing Games - 20 February 2012
What's the best way to help your child learn to speak a foreign language? One option is an immersion school, where teachers avoid speaking English. Also, did you ever play paddle while riding in a car? It's a game that's supposed to help courting couples get closer. Plus, what your signature says about you, what to call that last hors d'oeuvre on a plate, sitting on your tuchus, alphabet riddles, old camp songs, soup to nuts, and the weather-related phrase Who let the hawk out?FULL...
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The Rubber Match - 13 February 2012
Survey time! Do you call that kind of cap a beanie, a toboggan, or a stocking hat, or something else? What about rubber-soled athletic shoes? Do you call them sneakers or tennis shoes? Also, great Scrabble words, feeling owly, Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!, finjans and zarfs, catching plagiarism with mountweazels, and the art of long sentences. It's a larrupin' good episode!FULL DETAILSWhat do you call a knitted cap? A beanie? A toboggan? A stocking hat? Grant's Great Knitted Hat Survey...
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Strange Spelling Bee Words - 6 February 2012
Why do spelling bees include such bizarre, obsolete words like cymotrichous? And why is New York called the Big Apple? Also, the stinky folk medicine tradition called an asifidity bag. Worn around the neck like an amulet, these smelly bags supposedly keep away cold and flu. Also, the surprising number of common English phrases that come directly from the King James Bible. Plus, three sheets to the wind, the term white elephant, in like Flynn, Australian slang, and what to call foam sleeve...
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Gibberish Language - 30 January 2012
SUMMARYWhat do pigs have to do with piggyback rides? Martha and Grant have the answer. They also get a lesson from a listener in the fine art of speaking gibberish. And what's the correct way to pronounce the name of the nut spelled p-e-c-a-n? Pee-KAHN or PEE-can? The French have the Academie Francaise, but what authority do we have for the English language? Also, what you should do when someone yells, "Hold 'er Newt! She's headed for the barn!"FULL DETAILSMartha and Grant share some...
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By Jingo - 23 January 2012
SHOW SUMMARYIf your friend says she's coming to town "Sunday week," exactly when should you expect to see her? And what do you call those typographical symbols that cartoonists use in place of profanity? Martha and Grant have the answer. Plus grass widows, the linguistic phenomenon called creaky voice, the difference between insure and ensure, the roots of the term jingoism and what it means if someone warns You don't believe fat meat is greasy. Also, is it okay to make a noun out of a...
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Like a Boss - 16 January 2012
SHOW SUMMARYIt's a bird! It's a plane! It's . . . "witches' knickers"? Well, what do YOU call those stray plastic bags littering the landscape? Also, what it means to do something "like a boss," how to hyphenate correctly, and why we say we have a "crush" on someone. What do you call when you meet someone for the first time, and they ask if you know so-and-so, just because you share an area code? Also, similes from the 1800s, a rule on hyphens, and the truth about what happens when you turn...
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Pickles and Ice Cream (rebroadcast) - 9 January 2012
SUMMARYHow about some wind pudding with a dollop of air sauce? What's in a tavern sandwich? Do pregnant women really crave pickles and ice cream? Grant and Martha dig in to colorful language from the world of food. Plus, ever think of publishing a novel? Be warned: The snarky literary agent from SlushPile Hell shows no mercy when it comes to rejections. Also, piggy banks, children vs. kids, hand vs. foot dexterity, and a bi-coastal quiz. Plus, those flipped sentences known as antimetabole,...
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Who You Calling a Jabroney? (rebroadcast) - 2 January...
SHOW SUMMARYYo! Who you callin' a jabronie? And what exactly is a jabronie, anyway? Also, what do vintage school buses and hack writers have in common? Grant and Martha trace the origins of famous quotes, and a listener offers a clever new way to say "not my problem." All that, plus winklehawks, motherwit, oxymorons, word mash-ups, and a quiz about palindromes. FULL DETAILSIs that a winklehawk in your pants? A listener shares this word for those L-shaped rips in your trousers, from an old...
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You Bet Your Sweet Bippy (Rebroadcast) - 26 December 2011
SUMMARYWhy do some puns strike us as clever, while others are plain old groaners? Martha and Grant puzzle over this question. Also, the difference between baggage and luggage, a royal word quiz, the "egg" in egg on, what to call someone who doesn't eat fish or seafood, Hawaiian riddles, and why we say "You bet your sweet bippy!" FULL DETAILSWhen President Barack Obama had the Oval Office redecorated in soft browns and beige, The New York Times headline read: The Audacity of Taupe. The hosts...
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Bah Humblebrag - 19 December 2011
SHOW SUMMARYWhat's YOUR choice for the Word of the Year for 2011? What word or phrase best sums up the ideas, events, and themes that speakers of English have been talking about? Grant shares some of his picks. And speaking of picks, why do football commentators seem to love the term pick-six? Also, great quotations from writers, the meaning of such Britishisms as cheeky and naff, the intentionally misspelled and mispronounced word defulgaty and a discussion of whether the term ladies is...
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Special Request! -- Help Support A Way with Words
Give Now for the $25,000 Fundraising Challenge Dear friends and listeners, As we near the end of our biggest year yet, we must raise $25,000 to cover the remainder of this season. We need your help to reach that amount before December 30th. Reaching that goal will mean covering fixed costs: Broadcast studio rental. A sound engineer and board operator. Website hosting. Podcast hosting. The toll-free phone line. Episode distribution through the Public Radio Satellite System an expense that...
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A Murmuration of Starlings - 12 December 2011
SHOW SUMMARYIf you've ever eaten Flavor-Crisp Chicken, it was probably served with JoJo potatoes. And speaking of fried chicken, ever wonder why colonel isn't pronounced "KOH-loh-nell"? Grant and Martha have the answers to those nagging little questions, like the difference between a turnpike and a highway, and the rules on me versus I. Who's behind those eponyms in anatomy, and why are doctors phasing them out? Plus, a newsy limerick challenge, dog breed mashups, pallets, a little...
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Not the Thongs You're Thinking Of - 5 December 2011
SHOW SUMMARYIs it cool for parents to use their children's slang? What's wrong with the term "illegal alien"? Grant and Martha discuss possible alternatives. The catchphrase Who's Yehudi refers to the mysterious character who holds up strapless dresses, turns the light on in the fridge, and does lots of other things we can't see. But why Yehudi? Also, terms from the dictionary of anatomy, an idiom puzzle, putzing around, out of pocket, long in the tooth, and the ancient roots of the folksy...
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Cathead Biscuits (Rebroadcast) - 28 November 2011
SUMMARYEver eaten golden catheads for breakfast? Yum! A listener shares this Southern term for big, fluffy biscuits. Also, how did people greet each other before "hello" became a standard greeting of choice? What does it mean if someone's fair to middling? How do you pronounce the word bury? Is the phrase whether or not redundant? Should we use try to or try and? And if Sam and them are coming, who exactly is "them"? Plus, Grant and Martha share some classic riddles, and Quiz Guy Greg Pliska...
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The Whole Kit and Caboodle - 14 November 2011
SUMMARYNothing brightens up an email like an emoticon. But is it appropriate to include a smiley face in an email to your boss? Also, what do time management experts mean when they say you should start each day by "eating the frog"? Plus, the story behind the phrase "the whole kit and caboodle," and some book recommendations for language lovers. If you see the trash can as half-full, are you an optimist or a pessimist? A puzzle involving breakfast cereals, the difference between adept and...
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Why Do Auctioneers Talk So Fast? - 7 November 2011
SUMMARYWhy do auctioneers talk so fast? Martha and Grant discuss the rapid-fire speech of auctioneers, and how it gets you to bid higher. Also, why so many books have ridiculously long titles, where you'd have sonker for dessert, and an appreciation of that children's classic, "The Phantom Tollbooth." Plus, different from vs. different than, the origin of suss out, words that apparently entered English in 1937, and the many names for those little gray bugs that roll up into a ball.FULL...
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You Sound Old - 31 October 2011
SUMMARYEver drop a reference that just makes you sound, well, of a certain age? Grant and Martha discuss language that's often lost on a younger or older generation. Why is the entree the main course? Shouldn't it come first? And why is the letter k silent in knot and knight? Plus, the right way to say the, a remedy for the superstition of splitting the pole, names for the toes straight from Mother Goose, the difference between finished and done, and a special word quiz for all you zombie...
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Why Do Girls Wear Pink? - 24 October 2011
SUMMARYWe all know that the color pink is for boys and the color blue is for girls--at least, that's how it was 100 years ago. Grant and Martha share the surprising history behind the colors we associate with gender. Plus, we go rollin' in our hooptie, play a game of guess-that-Google-search, and get some tips on how to avoid getting swindled by our real estate agent! Also, new terms for failed software upgrades, some sugar-coated snark from across the pond, and a new way to show sarcasm in...
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Books With a Letter Missing - 17 October 2011
SUMMARYRemember those children's classics, the Velveteen Rabbi and The Little Price? The Twitterverse is abound with these books with a letter missing. And it turns out there's some pimping going on in our hospitals, but it's not what you'd think. Grant and Martha clear up the plead vs pleaded debate, touch on the use of product, and trace the history of shambles. Plus, a word puzzle with nursery rhymes, a map of regional grammar, and plenty of crazy vocab, from popinjays to the tee na...
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Going All City - 10 October 2011
SUMMARYHave you been dining on a budget lately? Martha recommends the necessity mess, potato bargain, and other tasty regional foods that won't break the bank. Plus, what's a doomaflatchie? And what do you have to do before you rest on your laurels? Grant and Martha share idioms, proverbs, and paraprosdokians, those sayings that take a sudden, unexpected turn. Plus cryptic crosswords, graffiti slang, and new ways to read your favorite magazines.FULL DETAILSDining on a budget? Just whip up...
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The College Slang Party - 3 October 2011
SUMMARYEver been to an ABC party? How about a darty? The hosts discuss these and other slang terms heard around campus. They also talk about mulligrubs and collywobbles, a puzzle for celebrity couples, potions that make childbirth a pleasure, and a check-up on old spelling bee champs. And to set the record straight, a preposition as a sentence-ender is something up with which we shall most definitely put!FULL DETAILSWhat would you wear to an ABC party? Hint: the letters stand for "Anything...
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Him and I or Him and Me - 26 September 2011
SUMMARYIf someone offered you a croaker with an old man's face, would you accept? You should! Croaker is a slang term for "hundred dollar bill." And did you ever wonder why we turn UP the A.C. to bring the temperature down? Grant and Martha ponder that question. Plus, the tricky debate over me vs. I, the byzantine story behind the word byzantine, whether paper toweling is a real noun, and a couple of name games. Also, Grant recommends some dictionaries and teaching guides for the new school...
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Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels (rebroadcast) - 19...
SUMMARYIf you say to someone the Spanish equivalent of you're giving me green hairs (me sacas canas verdes), it means that person is making you angry. In Japan, the phrase that literally translates as "one red dot" refers metaphorically to "the lone woman in a group of men." Martha and Grant discuss colorful idioms around the world, plus: making money hand over fist, taking wooden nickels, names for the end of a loaf of bread, and where a sneeze may evoke the response, Scat, Tom! Get your...
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Burrito Baby (rebroadcast) - 12 September 2011
SUMMARYMore and more college students are getting pregnant--with burrito babies. Grant talks about new terms for "a full stomach" and other examples of campus slang. Also, is it safe to play on the macadam? Also, overegging the pudding, what it means to be gobsmacked, the difference between who and whom, apostrophe placement, how to pronounce coup de grace, and the embarrassing results when a smartphone mistakenly autocorrects text messages.FULL DETAILSRemember the classic children's story...
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One Space or Two (rebroadcast) - 5 September 2011
SUMMARYIs typing two spaces after a period "totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong?" Martha and Grant disagree. Also, is the language of the movie "True Grit" historically accurate? Also, shut your pie-hole, Southern grammar, Oh my Lady Gaga, and a little town called Podunk.FULL DETAILSHow many spaces go after a period? Your schoolteacher may have taught you to use two, but others strongly disagree. http://www.slate.com/id/2281146/Shut your piehole! means "Shut your mouth!" Need...
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Seeing The Elephant (rebroadcast) - 29 August 2011
SUMMARYThis week on "A Way with Words": If you've "seen the elephant," it means you've been in combat. But why an elephant? Also, Martha and Grant discuss some funny idioms in Spanish, including one that translates as "your bowtie is whistling." And what names do you call YOUR grandparents? FULL DETAILSIf you're in Bangladesh, the expression that translates as "oiling your mustache in anticipation of the jackfruit tree bearing fruit" makes perfect sense. In English, it means "don't count...
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Eastern Seaboard West Coast (rebroadcast) - 22 August...
SUMMARYShadowdabbled. Moon-blanched. Augusttremulous. William Faulkner often used odd adjectives like these. But why? Grant and Martha discuss the poetic effects of compressed language. Also, African-American proverbs, classic children's books, pore vs. pour, and the double meaning of the word sanction.FULL DETAILSAmid the stacks of new titles at the library, Grant picks out The Wind in the Willows to read with his son. The hosts discuss the appeal of classic children's books. A bi-coastal...
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Red Light, Green Light (minicast) - 17 Aug. 2011
Hot traffic talk! A caller is looking for a word for the point at which you have to reach in order to make it through a stoplight before it turns red. -- A Way with Words is funded by its listeners: http://waywordradio.org/donate Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write with your questions at any time: Email: words@waywordradio.org Phone: United States and Canada toll-free (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673 London +44 20 7193 2113 Mexico City +52 55 8421 9771 Donate:...
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Nerd vs Geek (rebroadcast) - 15 August 2011
SUMMARYWhat do the words marathon, paisley, and bikini have in common? They're all words that derive from the names of places. Martha and Grant talk toponyms. Also, what's the difference between a nerd and a geek? Why do some Marines greet each other with the word "Yambo"? And what do you call the crust that forms at the corners of your eyes after a night's sleep?FULL DETAILSWhat do the words marathon, paisley, and bikini have in common? They're all words that derive from the names of...
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Of Pupae and Pupils (minicast) - 10 Aug. 2011
A question from a listener on the A Way with Words Facebook page has Martha musing about the entomological and etymological connections between the word pupil and the pupal stage of an insects life. -- A Way with Words is funded by its listeners: http://waywordradio.org/donate Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write with your questions at any time: Email: words@waywordradio.org Phone: United States and Canada toll-free (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673 London +44 20 7193...
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A Roberta of Flax (rebroadcast) - 8 August 2011
SUMMARYWe have collective nouns for animals, like "a gaggle of geese," "a pride of lions," and "an exaltation of larks." So why not collective nouns for plants? How about a "greasing of palms," or a "pursing of tulips"? Also, the difference between further and farther, the proper use of crescendo, how Shakespeare sounded in his day, and why a child's runny nose is sometimes referred to as lamb's legs.FULL DETAILSWe have collective nouns for animals, like "a gaggle of geese," "a pride of...
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Infix is Just Another Word for Fanfreakintastic...
What's the one word that comes to mind when you hear the name J. D. Salinger? "Masterpiece"? "Recluse"? How about the "F-word"? An Indianapolis listener came across an article about Salinger's use of that word, and that got him wondering about the linguistic terms for inserting at least one extra syllable into a word to make it more emphatic. -- A Way with Words is funded by its listeners: http://waywordradio.org/donate Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write with your...
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Cannibal Sandwich Anyone (rebroadcast) - 1 August 2011
SUMMARY Ready for some crazy crossword clues? The hosts discuss some clever ones, like "Hula hoop?" (3 letters). Also, is the correct term jury-rigged or jerry-rigged? Why are Marines called Gyrenes? When someone points out the obvious, do you say "Duh!" or do you say "No DUH!"? And what, pray tell, is in a cannibal sandwich?FULL DETAILSGrant shares some diabolically clever crossword clues. Have at 'em: Hula hoop? (3 letters). A city in Czechoslovakia? (Four letters). Want to try more? Check...
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Guess What (rebroadcast) - 25 July 2011
SUMMARYEnglish is full of unusual terms, both old (eleemosynary, favonian) and new (flyway, catio). Also, the Swahili term that means "sleep like a log," the multiple meanings of the word joint, what it means to play gooseberry, cowpies and horse biscuits, and how to punctuate the expression "Guess what."FULL DETAILSThinking about a flyaway, or will you spend the weekend gazing out at the catio? Grant explains these new terms.Is subscribing just for magazines and podcasts, or can you...
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Beanplating the Lunatic Fringe (rebroadcast) - 18 July...
SUMMARYIn this week's episode, "It was bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen." Martha and Grant discuss their favorite first lines from novels. Also this week, Palmer Housing, beanplating, meeting cute, bad billboard grammar, and what it means when someone says you look like a tree full of owls. And which is correct: another thing coming or another think coming?FULL DETAILSSome novels grab you from the get-go. "I am an invisible man." "Call me Ishmael." "The cold...
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Who is Chester Drawers - 11 July 2011
SUMMARYSome of the world's most famous writers had to support themselves with day jobs. Martha and Grant discuss well-known authors who toiled away at other trades. Also this week, Eskimo kisses, the frozen Puerto Rican treat called a limber, how the word fail ended up as a noun, the phrase I'm efforting that, and where you would throw a houlihan. And what's a chester drawers?FULL DETAILSSome of the world's greatest writers had to do their work while holding down a day job. William Faulkner...
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A Yankee Dime - 4 July 2011
SUMMARYRemember misunderstanding certain words as a child? Maybe you figured "cat burglars" only stole cats, or assumed guerrilla fighters must be angry apes. Martha and Grant discuss childhood misunderstandings about language. Also this week, Yankee dimes, culch piles, hanging crepe, educational rubrics, and whether the language you speak influences the way you think. FULL DETAILSThere's a point when children understand just enough of their native language to be confused by homophones and...
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The Bee's Knees - 27 June 2011
SUMMARYLet's put the moose on the table: You have questions, and Grant and Martha have answers. For example, why would someone have an albatross around his neck? And what's so cool about bees' knees, anyway? Plus, jockey boxes, bailiwicks, and cute names for loved ones, from snookums to bubula. If a bartender ever serves you a mat shot, don't try to beast it. You'll regret it in the morning. FULL DETAILS What pet names do you have for your loved ones? In The Joys of Yiddish, Leo Rosten...
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Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It - 20 June 2011
SUMMARYWhich came first, orange the color or orange the fruit? And what's a busman's holiday? Martha and Grant talk about bumbershoots, brollies, nursery rhymes, and alternatives to the word "unicycle." Plus, an app-inspired quiz, favorite oxymorons, and the origin of "put that in your pipe and smoke it"! If the Google Books Corpus doesn't sound like fun, think again. And by the way, shouldn't more than one company be allowed to sell Monopoly? FULL DETAILSYou know those words whose meanings...
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Tweet Nothings - 13 June 2011
SUMMARYHow much humor and personality can you pack into a 140-character update? A lot, it turns out. Martha and Grant talk about funny Twitter feeds. Also this week, the origins of skosh and can't hold a candle, why dragonflies are sometimes called snake doctors, whether the word pre-plan is redundant, and how technology is affecting the experience of reading.FULL DETAILSMartha and Grant share some of their latest guilty-pleasure reading from Twitter feeds that show just how much meaning can...
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Tend to the Rat-Killin' - 6 June 2011
SUMMARYAnagrams, rebuses, cryptograms, Jumble -- Martha and Grant swap stories about the games that first made them realize that playing with words and letters can be fun. Also this week, what's a jitney supper and where do you eat graveyard stew? The hosts explain the origin of the term hang fire and why Alaskans sound like they're from the Midwest, and take on a debate about whether an egregious falsehood is a bald-faced lie or a bold-faced lie.FULL DETAILSWhat games first made you realize...
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You Bet Your Sweet Bippy - 29 May 2011
SUMMARYWhy do some puns strike us as clever, while others are plain old groaners? Martha and Grant puzzle over this question. Also, the difference between baggage and luggage, a royal word quiz, the "egg" in egg on, what to call someone who doesn't eat fish or seafood, Hawaiian riddles, and why we say "You bet your sweet bippy!" FULL DETAILSWhen President Barack Obama had the Oval Office redecorated in soft browns and beige, The New York Times headline read: The Audacity of Taupe. The hosts...
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Pickles and Ice Cream - 23 May 2011
SUMMARYHow about some wind pudding with a dollop of air sauce? What's in a tavern sandwich? Do pregnant women really crave pickles and ice cream? Grant and Martha dig in to colorful language from the world of food. Plus, ever think of publishing a novel? Be warned: The snarky literary agent from SlushPile Hell shows no mercy when it comes to rejections. Also, piggy banks, children vs. kids, hand vs. foot dexterity, and a bi-coastal quiz. Plus, those flipped sentences known as antimetabole,...
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Who You Callin' a Jabronie? - 16 May 2011
SUMMARYYo! Who you callin' a jabronie? And what exactly is a jabronie, anyway? Also, what do vintage school buses and hack writers have in common? Grant and Martha trace the origins of famous quotes, and a listener offers a clever new way to say "not my problem." All that, plus winklehawks, motherwit, oxymorons, word mash-ups, and a quiz about palindromes. FULL DETAILSIs that a winklehawk in your pants? A listener shares this word for those L-shaped rips in your trousers, from an old Dutch...
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Everything is Tickety-Boo - 9 May 2011
SUMMARYNews reports that the makers of Scrabble were changing the rules to allow proper names left some purists fuming. The rumors were false, but they got Grant thinking about idiosyncratic adaptations of the game's rules. Also this week, the origins of the terms picket lines and hooch, why actors go up on their lines, terms for diarrhea of the mouth, and what we mean when we say there's an 800-lb. gorilla in the room.FULL DETAILSSome families have their own idiosyncratic rules for...
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The Ultimate Slang Dictionary - 2 May 2011
SUMMARYWhen it comes to language, who's the decider? Grant explains how grammar rules develop. Also, what's tarantula juice, and what's the difference between a muffin top and a smiley? The hosts discuss these and other terms from Jonathon Green's new Dictionary of Slang. Why do we call a waste of taxpayer money a boondoggle? What does it mean to be cotton to someone? And what's happening if we have a touch of the seconds? Plus, funny movie mistakes, a quiz in limerick form, regional terms...
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Like Death Eating a Cracker (rebroadcast) - 25 Apr. 2011
[This episode first aired May 1, 2010.] SUMMARY Digital timepieces may be changing the way we talk, at least a little. There's Bob o'clock (8:08), Big o'clock (8:19), and even Pi o'clock. Also this week, what do you call that gesture with your fingers when you want to make an image larger on an iPhone? Does anyone use the expression fat chance any more? And do the expressions graveyard shift, saved by the bell, and dead ringer has anything to do with weird Victorian burial practices?FULL...
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A Pickle Short of a Jar (rebroadcast) - 20 Apr. 2011
[This episode first aired April 10, 2010.]SUMMARYA few pickles short of a jar, a few peas short of a casserole, two French fries short of a Happy Meal -- this week, Martha and Grant discuss these and other full-deckisms, those clever ways to describe someone who falls short in some way. Also, what's the story behind the old phrase "fish or cut bait"? When does the word "it's" have an apostrophe? And is "That's a good question" really a good response?FULL DISCRIPTION"Not the brightest bulb in...
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Heads Up! It's a Meteor - 12 April 2011
SUMMARY:"Well, butter my buns and call me a biscuit!" Martha and Grant talk about great catch phrases from old-time radio comedies. Also, why do we speak of a meteoric rise? Don't meteors plummet? What do you keep in a Fibber McGee drawer? Plus, myriad vs. myriad of, enamored of vs. enamored with, autocorrected text messages. And Martha shares a trick for eliminating those annoying verbal fillers like "um" and you know" from one's speech. FULL DETAILSThey say it's easier for a camel to pass...
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Cathead Biscuits - 5 April 2011
Ever eaten golden catheads for breakfast? Yum! A listener shares this Southern term for big, fluffy biscuits. Also, how did people greet each other before "hello" became a standard greeting of choice? What does it mean if someone's fair to middling? How do you pronounce the word bury? Is the phrase whether or not redundant? Should we use try to or try and? And if Sam and them are coming, who exactly is "them"? Plus, Grant and Martha share some classic riddles, and Quiz Guy Greg Pliska has a...
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A Murphy, a Melvin, and a Wedgie (rebroadcast) - 29...
[This episode first aird March 13, 2010.]When it comes to joining Facebook affinity groups, grammar lovers have lots of choices. Take, for example, the group whose motto is Punctuation saves lives. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lets-eat-Grandma-or-Lets-eat-Grandma-Punctuation-saves-lives/276265851258 It's called Let's Eat Grandma!'" or "Let's eat, Grandma! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lets-eat-Grandma-or-Lets-eat-Grandma-Punctuation-saves-lives/276265851258 Martha and Grant talk about their...
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Sailor's Delight (rebroadcast) - 21 March 2011
[This episode first aired March 6, 2010.]"Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning." Martha talks about this weather proverb, which has been around in one form or another since ancient times. Grant shares a favorite weather word: slatch http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/slatch. Also this week: Is there a better alternative to the word "mentee"? What's "pooflapoo pie"?A Dallas listener and her boss have a dispute. The boss says the staff...
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Qi, Qat, and Za: Great Scrabble Words - 14 March 2011
SUMMARYNeed a good Scrabble word? Grant shares some of his favorites, and invites listeners to challenge him on "Words with Friends." Also, why do we call those classic screwball films madcap comedies? And what does it mean to walk in a crocodile? Plus, mondegreens, naval slang, learned versus learnt, and no way, Jose. And what do you call that flourish at the bottom of John Hancock's John Hancock?FULL DETAILSNeed a Scrabble word with q or z? Grant shares some of his favorite legal Scrabble...
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It's in My Wheelhouse - 7 March 2011
SUMMARYWhat was your first word? Grant and Martha talk about how children acquire language. Also, if you say that something's in your wheelhouse, you mean that it's within your area of expertise. But why "wheelhouse"? And what does it mean to be "high as Cooter Brown"?FULL DETAILSGrant and Martha talk about new and unusual slang. If something has you puzzled or mystified, you're metagrobolized. If you're speaking voice sounds like grunting, you're said to be gruntulous. And what does spox...
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Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels - 28 Feb. 2011
SUMMARY:If you say to someone the Spanish equivalent of you're giving me green hairs (me sacas canas verdes), it means that person is making you angry. In Japan, the phrase that literally translates as "one red dot" refers metaphorically to "the lone woman in a group of men." Martha and Grant discuss colorful idioms around the world, plus: making money hand over fist, taking wooden nickels, names for the end of a loaf of bread, and where a sneeze may evoke the response, Scat, Tom! Get your...
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Burrito Baby - 21 Feb. 2011
SUMMARY:More and more college students are getting pregnant -- with burrito babies. Grant talks about new terms for "a full stomach" and other examples of campus slang. Also, is it safe to play on the macadam? And: overegging the pudding, what it means to be gobsmacked, the difference between who and whom, apostrophe placement, how to pronounce coup de grace, and the embarrassing results when a smartphone mistakenly autocorrects text messages.FULL DETAILSRemember the classic children's story...
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One Space or Two? - 14 Feb. 2011
SUMMARY:Is typing two spaces after a period "totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong?" Martha and Grant disagree. Also, is the language of the movie "True Grit" historically accurate? Also, shut your pie-hole, Southern grammar, Oh my Lady Gaga, and a little town called Podunk.FULL DETAILSHow many spaces go after a period? Your schoolteacher may have taught you to use two, but others strongly disagree. http://www.slate.com/id/2281146/Shut your piehole! means "Shut your mouth!" Need...
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Eastern Seaboard, West Coast - 7 Feb. 2011
This episode has not previously aired.SUMMARY:Shadowdabbled. Moon-blanched. Augusttremulous. William Faulkner often used odd adjectives like these. But why? Grant and Martha discuss the poetic effects of compressed language. Also, African-American proverbs, classic children's books, pore vs. pour, and the double meaning of the word sanction.FULL DETAILSAmid the stacks of new titles at the library, Grant picks out The Wind in the Willows to read with his son. The hosts discuss the appeal of...
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Sufficiently Suffonsified (rebroadcast) - 31 Jan. 2011
[This episode first aired February 27, 2010.]What's in a pet's name? Martha and Grant swap stories about how they came up with names for their dogs. Also this week: Have you ever been called a "stump-jumper"? How about a snicklefritz? And what's the last word in the dictionary? Depending on which dictionary you consult, it might be "zythum," "zyzzyva," "zyxomma," or "zyxt."Sometimes the process of naming a pet takes a while. The hosts talk about how their dogs' names evolved.A native...
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Word Up! - 17 Jan. 2011
SUMMARYWhat would you serve a plumber who comes over for dinner? How about ... leeks? The hosts play a word game called "What Would You Serve?" Also, how can you correct someone's grammar without ruining a new relationship? And is there an easy way to remember the difference between who and whom?FULL DETAILSWhat would you serve a plumber for dinner? How about leeks? (We didn't say it had to be appetizing.) What would you serve a jeweler? Carats. Martha and Grant play the "What Would You...
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Down A Chimney Up (rebroadcast) - 10 Jan. 2011
[This episode first aired January 23, 2010.]Good poetry is even better when you read it aloud. For his anthology, "Essential Pleasures" http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Pleasures-Anthology-Poems-Aloud/dp/0393066088, former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky selected works with just that in mind. Martha and Grant discuss a poem from the book with lines that are more delicious when spoken. Also this week: If a woman decides to keep her own name after getting married, should she be addressed as...
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The Thought Plickens (rebroadcast) - 3 Jan. 2010
[This episode first aired February 6, 2010.]If you're inappropriately focused on the minutiae of a project instead of the bigger picture, you're said to be "bike-shedding." Grant talks about that modern slang term and Martha discusses a word that goes way back in time, right back to "In the beginning," in fact. The word is "tohubohu," and it means a "mess" or "confusion."Grant and Martha discuss a new term, "bike-shedding," and an old one, "tohubohu."Where'd we get the term "swan song"? A...
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Cut to the Chase - 27 Dec. 2010
[This episode first aired December 19, 2008.]There's nothing like an oddly phrased headline to brighten your day. How about "Actor Sent to Jail for Not Finishing Sentence"? Or "Queen Mary Having Bottom Scraped"? Same for signs that make you do a double take, like "Senior Citizens! Buy One, Get One Free." A San Diego caller shares a couple of her favorite oddly worded signs, and the hosts mention a few of their own.If someone's driving you bonkers, you'd be forgiven for grumbling, "He's such...
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Too Much Sugar for a Dime - 20 Dec. 2010
SUMMARYIs the term "Oriental" offensive? Many people think so. Martha and Grant discuss the reasons why. Also, where do we get the phrase "not one iota"? Why do we tell someone to "take a gander"? And who coined the word "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"? FULL DETAILS"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." This kind of sudden, surprising turn in a sentence is called a paraprosdokian. Martha and Grant trade some examples.Instead of crying...
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Anaheim, Asuza, and Cuck-a-monga (Rebroadcast) - 6 Dec....
[This episode first aired November 9, 2009.] All aboard! This week, a bit about the musical language of railroad conductors' calls: 'Anaheim, Azusa, and Cu-ca-monga!' Also, the origin of the military slang term 'cumshaw,' tips for learning Latin, the influence of Spanish immigrants on English, and the funny story behind why plain-talking Texans say, 'We're going to tell how the cow ate the cabbage.'A trip to the California State Railroad Museum http://www.csrmf.org/ has Grant musing about...
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Zig-Zag and Shilly-Shally (Rebroadcast) - 29 Nov. 2010
[This episode first aired October 24, 2009.]Bavarian Chalet. Mushroom Basket. Moose Point. Who in the heck comes up with the names of paints, anyway? Martha and Grant ponder that mystery. They also explain why those annoying emails go by the name "spam." And Grant explains the difference between being "adorbs" and "bobo."Bavarian Chalet. Mushroom Basket. Moose Point. Who in the heck comes up with the names of paint, anyway? Must be the same people who get paid to give names like Love Child,...
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A Roberta of Flax - 22 Nov. 2010
SUMMARY We have collective nouns for animals, like "a gaggle of geese," "a pride of lions," and "an exaltation of larks." So why not collective nouns for plants? How about a "greasing of palms," or a "pursing of tulips"? Also, the difference between further and farther, the proper use of crescendo, how Shakespeare sounded in his day, and why a child's runny nose is sometimes referred to as lamb's legs.FULL DESCRIPTIONWe have collective nouns for animals, like "a gaggle of geese," "a pride of...
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Words of the Year - 15 Nov. 2010
SUMMARYWhat's your choice for 2010's word of the year? Mama grizzly? Starwhacker? And who could forget vuvuzela? Martha and Grant discuss the Five-Oh in Hawaii 5-0, and whether the tagline "I approve this message" is grammatical. Also, is the phrase "it is what it is" annoying or merely philosophical?FULL DETAILSWhat's your choice for the word or phrase that best captures the zeitgeist of 2010? Grant shares some of his "Word of the Year" candidates, including refudiate, mama grizzlies,...
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Lunatic Fringe - 25 Oct. 2010
SUMMARYIn this week's episode, "It was bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen." Martha and Grant discuss their favorite first lines from novels. Also this week, Palmer Housing, beanplating, meeting cute, bad billboard grammar, and what it means when someone says you look like a tree full of owls. And which is correct: another thing coming or another think coming?FULL DETAILSSome novels grab you from the get-go. "I am an invisible man." "Call me Ishmael." "The cold...
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Drinking Terms (minicast) - 6 Oct. 2010
An interview with slang lexicographer Paul Dickson about drinking language and his book "Drunk: the Definitive Drinkers Dictionary."--A Way with Words is supported by its listeners. Drop a few bucks in the guitar case: http://waywordradio.org/donateGet your language question answered on the air! Call or write with your questions at any time:Email: words@waywordradio.orgPhone:United States an Canada toll-free (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673London +44 20 7193 2113Mexico City +52 55 8421...
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A Louse in a Wrestling Jacket - 4 Oct. 2010
A California college student is campaigning for international scientific authorities to adopt the slang term hella- as an official prefix indicating a huge number. Will he succeed? Also, how to pronounce niche, the regional terms doppick and nixie, the origins of towheaded and frenetic, and a phrase familiar to many African-Americans, but little-known outside that community: I couldn't buy a louse in a wrestling jacket....Whether it's bytes of data or intergalactic distances, humans are...
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Spendthrift Snollygosters (rebroadcast) - 16 Aug. 2010
[This episode first aired February 20, 2010.]This week, it's the language of politics. Martha and Grant discuss two handy terms describing politicians: "far center" and "snollygoster." Also, a presidential word puzzle, "false friends," "spendthrifts," and a long list of "17th-century insults." So listen up, all you "flouting milksops," "blockish grutnols," and "slubberdegullions"! Grant explains the meaning of the new slang term "far center," and Martha tries to revive an antiquated term...
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The Language of Less Than Three (rebroadcast) - 9 Aug....
[This episode first aired February 13, 2010.] Whoever wrote "The Book of Love" neglected to include the handy emoticon 3, which looks like a heart if you turn your head sideways. Grant and Martha talk about how that bit of affectionate shorthand can function as a verb, and about the antiquated words for kiss, "osculate" and "exosculate." A Houston woman says her family makes fun of her for saying "waste not, want not." Does this proverb make literal sense? BTDubs, a San Diego caller notices...
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