Shows
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMade from Scratch - 13 December 2021Enthusiastic book recommendations! Martha’s savoring the biography of Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century explorer, polymath, and naturalist who revolutionized our understanding of nature and predicted the effects of human activity on climate. Grant’s enjoying A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, about how the study of DNA is rewriting our understanding of history itself. And a customer is startled when a salesperson waves goodbye with a friendly Preesh! Is Preesh really a word you might use to say you appreciate someone’s business? Plus, where would you hunt for a tizzy? All that, and whang, sloomy, abbiocco, recei...2021-12-1353 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overJoin us for our video cookout July 14th!Join Martha and Grant of A Way with Words, the public radio show and podcast about language, for a live video Q&A and chat on Wednesday, July 14, at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific. They're bursting with answers to questions from the show's voluminous mailbag, and they'll take live questions from you! The event is free, but you must register in advance at at https://waywordradio.org/cookout to receive the streaming link. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2021-07-0701 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overAt First Blush (Rebroadcast) - 4 January 2021Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spanish-language adventure novel, an account of 19th-century dictionary wars, and a gorgeously illustrated book of letters to young readers. Plus, what's the best language for conveying a heartfelt apology? Ideally, an apology won't be the end of a conversation. Rather, it will be the beginning of one. Plus, a brain-busting word quiz, snow job, clean as a whistle, high muckety-muck, tip us your daddle, and a wet bird never flies at night, and lots more....2021-01-0453 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overElectrifying! - a special minicast from MarthaMartha here with a special minicast of A Way with Words. Today I want to tell you an electrifying story — and make a request for you to support A Way with Words. want to tell you a story — and make a request for you to support A Way with Words. https://www.waywordradio.org/donate/The story is about a guy named Luigi. He was born in 1737 in Bologna, Italy. Studied medicine and philosophy at the university there, then went on to work as a physician and surgeon. In those early years, when he wasn't practicing medicine, he w...2019-12-1205 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overA request from MarthaHave you ever wanted to know who we really are? How Grant and I really see ourselves? Go to https://waywordradio.org/mission .
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-06-1301 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWe've come a long way! In 2007, the public media organization that created A Way with Words had a problem. They loved our show but a deep recession meant the station couldn't afford to keep producing it. So they canceled it. That could have been the end of A Way with Words. But Grant and I still believed so much in the educational mission that, along with our producer Stefanie, we formed a nonprofit to continue the radio show and podcast and to distribute them free of charge. Call us idealistic, but you showed us you wanted to learn about l...2016-12-3002 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overElectric Hootenanny (Rebroadcast) - 28 December 2015Bathroom walls, missing graffiti, and social media. Where have all the cute quips on bathroom stalls gone? We wonder about the apparent decline of restroom graffiti. Are people saving their witticisms for Twitter and Facebook? And: If there were a universal law named in your honor, what would it be? Martha says in her case, “Barnette’s Law” would be “The lane you just got out of is the one that ends up going faster.” Always. Finally: Andre the Giant fancies a cocktail called “The American.” The recipe? Fill a 40-ounce pitcher with various liquors, then stir. Eeeeuww! Plus, using Master vs. M...2015-12-2853 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overI'll Be Sheep-Dipped (Rebroadcast) - 16 November 2015What a difference pronunciation makes! The United States has a Department of Defense, and an individual might take classes in self-defense. So why do football and basketball coaches say they're proud of their . . . "DEE-fence?" Linguists have a theory about why. Also, some funny limericks to help you learn obscure words, and what you will and won't find on a desert island. Plus, kennings, cobwebs, crestfallen, catillate, cataglossism, and more.FULL DETAILSDo you think dictionaries of obsolete words with definitions in limerick form are cool? If you're annuent—meaning “nodding”—we'll take that as a "yes." Yo...2015-11-1651 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMonkey's Wedding (Rebroadcast) - 26 January 2015It’s the art of constructive feedback: If you’re a teacher with a mountain of papers to grade, you may find yourself puzzling over which kinds of notes in the margins work best. Martha and Grant discuss strategies for effective paper-grading. And when your inbox is full of spam and LinkedIn requests, even a bad emailed joke starts to look good. Martha shares one, along with some riddles from Portuguese and Spanish. And that slithering reptile in the garage — is it a garden snake, a gardener snake, or a garter snake? Plus, creek vs. crick, the origins of shank, rh...2015-01-3053 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overAn Urgent Need from A Way with WordsGive Now! http://waywordradio.org/donate
Dear friends and listeners, As we near the end of our biggest year yet, we must raise $75,000 to cover the remainder of this season. We need your help to reach that amount before December 31st.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 and PRX.What you may not know is that when you donate to your local sta...2014-12-2101 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overElectric Hootenanny - 3 November 2014Bathroom walls, missing graffiti, and social media. Where have all the cute quips on bathroom stalls gone? We wonder about the apparent decline of restroom graffiti. Are people saving their witticisms for Twitter and Facebook? And: If there were a universal law named in your honor, what would it be? Martha says in her case, “Barnette’s Law” would be “The lane you just got out of is the one that ends up going faster.” Always. Finally: Andre the Giant fancies a cocktail called “The American.” The recipe? Fill a 40-ounce pitcher with various liquors, then stir. Eeeeuww! Plus, using Master vs. M...2014-11-0353 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overBlow a Gasket - 10 March 2014The Pope is tweeting in Latin! But can an ancient language adapt to a world of selfies and hashtags? Speaking of the future, cars are now talking to each other with V-2-V communication. And pit bull owners are trying to soften the image of their cute little dogs by calling them "pibbles." Plus, pizza bones, grand-nieces vs. great-nieces, pin vs. pen, sisu, blow a gasket, and write it on the ice. FULL DETAILSThe Pope tweets in Latin! As it turns out, Latin is such an efficient language that it can compress a lot...2014-03-1052 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMonkey's Wedding - 28 October 2013It’s the art of constructive feedback: If you’re a teacher with a mountain of papers to grade, you may find yourself puzzling over which kinds of notes in the margins work best. Martha and Grant discuss strategies for effective paper-grading. And when your inbox is full of spam and LinkedIn requests, even a bad emailed joke starts to look good. Martha shares one, along with some riddles from Portuguese and Spanish. And that slithering reptile in the garage — is it a garden snake, a gardener snake, or a garter snake? Plus, creek vs. crick, the origins of shank, rh...2013-10-2853 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWhat'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, and the cabbie will usually tell the dispatcher to send...2012-06-2452 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overSpecial 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 will increase 50% in 2012. What you may not know is that when you do...2011-12-1502 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overOne Space or Two (rebroadcast) - 5 September 2011SUMMARYIs 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 more slang terms for the mouth? For starters, there's po...2011-09-0552 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overSeeing The Elephant (rebroadcast) - 29 August 2011SUMMARYThis 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 your chickens." A discussion thread on Reddit with this and...2011-08-2952 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overEastern Seaboard West Coast (rebroadcast) - 22 August 2011SUMMARYShadowdabbled. 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 listener wonders about the terms West Coast and Eastern Seaboard. Why don't we say Californians...2011-08-2252 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overNerd vs Geek (rebroadcast) - 15 August 2011SUMMARYWhat 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 places. Martha and Grant...2011-08-1552 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overCannibal Sandwich Anyone (rebroadcast) - 1 August 2011SUMMARY 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 out these clues here and here.http://www.crosswordese.com...2011-08-0152 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overGuess What (rebroadcast) - 25 July 2011SUMMARYEnglish 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 subscribe to an idea? A husband and wife disagree...2011-07-2552 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overBeanplating the Lunatic Fringe (rebroadcast) - 18 July 2011SUMMARYIn 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 passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs...2011-07-1852 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWho is Chester Drawers - 11 July 2011SUMMARYSome 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 and Anthony Trollope toiled as postal...2011-07-0852 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overA Yankee Dime - 4 July 2011SUMMARYRemember 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 metaphors. What misunderstandings do you remember? Maybe you thought cat burglars stole only cats, or that you might be...2011-07-0152 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overTweet Nothings - 13 June 2011SUMMARYHow 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 be compressed into 140 characters. Cases in point: @veryshortstory and @GRAMMARHULK.2011-06-1352 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overTend to the Rat-Killin' - 6 June 2011SUMMARYAnagrams, 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 that words and letters make great play...2011-06-0652 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overEverything is Tickety-Boo - 9 May 2011SUMMARYNews 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 Scrabble. Grant talks about the rules in his...2011-05-0952 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overLike 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 DESCRIPTIONAs members of the Bob o'clock Facebook...2011-04-2552 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overA 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 the Christmas tree...2011-04-2052 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overSailor'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 should get "on the stick." The caller and her co-workers say the correct phrase is "...2011-03-2252 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overSufficiently 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 Japanese speaker is mystified by the expression "happy as a...2011-01-3152 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWord Up! - 17 Jan. 2011SUMMARYWhat 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 Serve?" game.A...2011-01-1752 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overThe 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 caller says this expression came up in conversation just before...2011-01-0352 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overToo Much Sugar for a Dime - 20 Dec. 2010SUMMARYIs 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 "uncle," an Indiana woman's family...2010-12-2052 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overAnaheim, Asuza, and Cuck-a-monga (Rebroadcast) - 6 Dec. 2010[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 the way language can change in the mouth of a single individual -- in...2010-12-0652 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overZig-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, Sellout, and Apocalypse to shades of lipstick. Martha and Grant discuss wacky...2010-11-2952 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWords of the Year - 15 Nov. 2010SUMMARYWhat'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, starwhacker, and of course, vuvuzela.Is the TV show Hawaii Five-0...2010-11-1552 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overLunatic Fringe - 25 Oct. 2010SUMMARYIn 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 passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs...2010-10-2552 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overA Louse in a Wrestling Jacket - 4 Oct. 2010A 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 accumulating ever more massive amounts of data. But how do we use language to describe such mind-bogglingly huge numbers...2010-10-0452 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overA Gazelle on the Lawn (rebroadcast) - 13 Sept. 2010[This episode first aired March 13, 2010.]What do you say if you have guests over and someone in your family has stray food left on the face? In some households, the secret warning is "there's a gazelle on the lawn." But why a gazelle? Also, this week: the "term for a party" to introduce one's new baby to family and friends, the past tense of the verb "to text," and why some people use three syllables when pronouncing "realtor." And did you know there's a language in which it's perfectly normal to "wash your clothes in Barf"?2010-09-1451 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overSpendthrift 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 meaning "a corrupt politician," "snollygoster."Careful about how you spend your money? Then you're said to be "thrifty." So why is someone who...2010-08-1651 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overThe Language of Less Than Three (rebroadcast) - 9 Aug. 2010
[This episode first aired February 13, 2010.]
Whoever wrote "The Book of Love" neglected to include the handy emoticon 2010-08-0951 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overThe Fighting Kewpies, Un-hunh! (rebroadcast) - 28 June 2010[This episode first aired December 5, 2009.]In high school, no one thinks twice about cheering for the Fighting Trojans or the Tigers. But what about the Hickman Kewpies http://service.columbia.k12.mo.us/hhs/about/? Or the Maryville Spoofhounds http://www.maryville.k12.mo.us/? Martha and Grant talk about some of the odder names for school athletic teams. Also, in this episode: If you're queasy, are you "nauseous" or "nauseated"? How do you pronounce the word "sorry"? And why do conservative Democrats call themselves "Blue Dogs"?Grant and Martha discuss strange names for high school sports teams...2010-06-2851 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overGet Your Nickels Together for a Jitney Supper - 7 June 2010Anagrams, rebuses, cryptograms -- 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.What games first made you realize that words and letters make great playthings? Martha describes puzzling, as a child, over the...2010-06-0752 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overBless Your Heart - 31 May 2010This week, it's backhanded phrases, those snarky remarks that come sugar-coated in politeness, like "How nice for you," "Oh, interesting!" and the mother of all thinly veiled criticism, "Bless her heart." Also this week, free reign vs. free rein, the origin of the one-finger salute, and what it means if a Frenchman has big ankles. And "Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings stops by to try his hand at a slang quiz.You've been on the receiving end of backhanded phrases, and admit it, you've used them, too. A discussion on Ask Metafilter http://ask.metafilter.com/133910/Bless-your-heart-and-other-backhanded-phrases prompts Grant...2010-05-3151 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overHit the Pickle Button - 10 May 2010Who was that masked man? Was it the Barefoot Bandit, the Mummy Bandit, or perhaps the Botox Bandit? Or maybe it was the Bad-Breath Bandit? The hosts discuss the wacky names that law enforcement officers give to suspects. Also, what's a pickle button? Why do we say be there or be square? And what does the word seditty mean in the African-American community?A news story about the Ho-Hum Bandit has Grant musing about the odd names that law enforcement officers give to criminals at large, usually based on their appearance or behavior, like the Barefoot Bandit, the...2010-05-1051 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overPardon Our French - 19 April 2010South African English is a rich mix of Afrikaans, English, and indigenous languages such as Zulu and Xhosa. Martha and Grant discuss some favorite terms from that part of the world, including lekker, diski, and ubuntu. Also, where'd we get the term hurt locker and why do we say 'pardon my French' after cursing? What's the difference between supposedly and supposably? And is having a vast vocabulary filled with obscure words really all that important?Looking ahead to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/, Martha and Grant discuss some terms you might hear...2010-04-1951 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overAwkward Turtle - 5 April 2010[This episode first aired October 10, 2009.]Do you say something happened on accident or by accident? Is text-messaging is destroying our kids' writing ability? Where do horseradish, zark, and ignoramus come from?Grant and Martha discuss a new collection of college slang compiled by UCLA linguistics professor Pamela Munro. Learn more about it and order a copy here.A Burlington, Vt. caller wants to know: Is horseradish so named because of this root's strong resemblance to part of a horse's anatomy?The word zarf means 'a metal cupholder,' but a Scrabble enthusiast...2010-04-0551 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overSqueejawed Red-heads and Grockles (Rebroadcast) - 4 January 2010[This episode originally aired February 9, 2008.] In this week's episode: Just how far back could you go and still understand the English people were speaking? We crank up our trusty time machine to find out. Hint: You'd probably have a tough time getting around in the eighth century, when English poetry looked like: 'Hwaet we gardena in geardagum...' Speaking of the more recent past: When you played hide-and-seek as a child, did you yell 'Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free'? Or 'Ally Ally in Free'? Or maybe 'Ally Ally Ump Free'? 'Ole Ole Olsen Free'? Or something...2010-01-0451 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overSee A Man About A Horse (Rebroadcast) - 28 Dec. 2009[This episode first aired January 12, 2008.] In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.' By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right? A caller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tide me over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets should tide her over. If a dictator dictates, and an aviator...2009-12-2851 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWords of the Decade - 21 Dec. 2009Enough about the 'Word of the Year.' How about the 'Word of the Decade'? Bailout? Google? Martha and Grant discuss some candidates. Also in this episode, does speaking a different language make you feel different emotion'? What did Don Draper on 'Mad Men' mean when he called Betty a 'Main Line brat'? And why do we talk about 'throwing someone under the bus'? Where'd we get the expression 'mind your p's and q's'? A Barcelona native wants help understanding exactly what it means, and shares a few other English idioms that caught her up short. 2009-12-2151 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overCoinkydinks and Big Boxes - 30 Nov. 2009[This episode first aired May 10, 2008.] We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle words on purpose? Do you ever say 'fambly' instead of family, 'perazackly' for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrote a newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the response was enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard to resist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples. A Pennsylvania minister is curious about a phrase her family uses: 'by way of Robin Hood's barn' or 'around Robin...2009-11-3051 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overShivaree - 4 Nov. 2009Welcome to another minicast from A Way with Words. I'm Martha Barnette. You may remember the call we had from Tony in Encinitas, California. He was curious about the term for an unusual hazing ritual: My dad woke us up one night, about 8 o'clock. He said don't be alarmed. There's going to be gunfire and a lot of noise, and there's going to be a lot of people in the house and there's going to be a party. This is probably late spring. And lo and behold, next thing we knew there were trucks driving...2009-11-0404 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWest Word, Ho! - 28 Sept. 2009It's a brand-new season of A Way with Words! Grant has big news, too: He's used up his last Metrocard, packed up his belongings, and moved to the Left Coast. He reports on some features of California language there that are already catching his ear. Also in this episode, what's the real meaning of decimate? And what does it mean when someone says don't leave your endgate up? A Wisconsin community is about to open its first dog park. But what to name it? 'Scentral Park'? 'Unleashed'? Martha and Grant try to help. Why do...2009-09-2851 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overEnglish Down Under - 21 Sept. 2009[This episode originally aired October 11, 2008.] This week, Martha and Grant discuss terms from Australia, including aerial ping-pong, pumpkin squatter, andâkangarooster? They explain the connection between stereotypes and stereos, and why we call the person clearing tables in a restaurant a busboy. Also, what's the plural of moose? Meese? Mooses? Great news for language fans: The Australian National Dictionary is now available online for free. It's full of fascinating words from Down Under. Contrary to what you might think, for example, kangaroosters are pouchless and feather-free, and a pumpkin squatter isn't a trendy thigh-reducing exercise.2009-09-2151 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overNever Bolt Your Door with A Boiled Carrot - 14 Sept. 2009[This episode first aired October 4, 2008.] Proverbs pack great truths into a few well-chosen words, no matter which language you speak. Check out this one from Belize: 'Don't call the alligator a big-mouth till you have crossed the river.' And this truism from Zanzibar: 'When two elephants tussle, it's the grass that suffers.' Martha and Grant discuss a new paremiography--a collection of proverbs--from around the world. A woman from Cape Cod is looking for a polite word that means the current wife of my ex-husband. She's thinking about 'cur-wife,' but somehow that doesn't...2009-09-1451 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overThe Txting Db8 - 7 Sept. 2009[This episode first aired Sept. 27, 2009.] OMG, text messaging! It's destroying the English language, corrupting young minds, turning us into a nation of illiterates. It's probably shrinking the ozone layer, too. Or is it? In his new book, 'Txting: The Gr8 Db8,' author David Crystal offers a different perspective. The book's surprising message is one which linguists have shared for years: Far from obliterating literacy, texting may actually improve it. So put that in your message header and send it! The French phrase 'au jus' means with sauce, which is why it drives...2009-09-0751 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overBogarting Bangers - 31 Aug. 2009[This episode first aired June 6, 2009.] Has the age of email led to an outbreak of exclamation marks? Do women use them more than men? Also, is there a word for the odd feeling when you listen to a radio personality for years, then discover that they look nothing like your mental picture of them? And what's the origin of the verb 'to bogart'? Writing in the 'Guardian,' Stuart Jeffries contends that our email boxes are being infested with exclamation marks , known as 'bangs' or 'bangers' (without mash) to some people. Jacob Rubin also wrote...2009-08-3151 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWords With K in Them Are Funny - 17 Aug. 2009[This episode first aired May 16, 2009.] Pickle, baboon, cupcake, snorkel, pumpkin, Kalamazoo -- let's face it, some words are just plain funny. But what makes some words funnier than others? Martha and Grant consider this question with an assist from Neil Simon's play (and movie) 'The Sunshine Boys.' Also in this episode: 'There are three words in the English language that end in -gry. Angry and hungry are two of them.' The hosts explain how this 'aggravating riddle' works -- and doesn't work. And what's a 'shivaree'? Do you know this diabolical riddle? 'There...2009-08-1751 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overGoing for that Anti-Marketing Dollar - 10 Aug. 2009[This episode first aired May 2, 2009.] In this downbeat economy, some advertisers are reaching for upbeat language. Take the new Quaker Oats catchphrase, 'Go humans go,' or Coca-Cola's current slogan, 'Open happiness.' Martha and Grant discuss whether chirpy, happy ad copy can go too far. Also this week, why New Yorkers insist they 'stand on line' instead of in line. And who is 'William Trembletoes'? And what's a 'zerbert'? (The title of this post is taken from a routine by comedian Bill Hicks .) Here's a New York Times article about perky ad...2009-08-1051 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overLike a Duck on a June Bug - 3 Aug. 2009[This episode first aired Apr. 11, 2009.] Why are the names of cars so unimaginative? Grant argues that auto manufacturers might take inspiration from 'ornithology' to build a better car name. (Then again, would you be any less aggravated if you were rear-ended by a 'lazuli bunting'?) Also this week, why do so many young folks 'pepper their speech with the word 'like,' and what, if anything, can be done about it? All that, plus Luddites, chicken bog, a ducks on June bug, and the possible origins of the phrase to get one's goat. Ever been...2009-08-0351 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overModed, Corroded, Your Booty Exploded - 27 July 2009[This episode originally aired March 28, 2009.] Why is it that what you say to your family and what they hear are different? If you say 'no,' your child hears 'maybe,' and if you say 'maybe,' she hears 'ask again and again, and yes is just around the corner.' Grant and Martha discuss ways that families communicate and miscommunicate. Also in this episode: the West Coast exclamation 'moded!,' the Navy expression 'turn to,' how to pronounce 'llama,' what it means if someone says your car is 'banjaxed,' and more. ...2009-07-2751 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overI, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Overlords - 20 July 2009[This episode first aired March 21, 2009.] Sure, there's 'Grandma' and 'Grampa,' but there's also 'Gammy,' 'Bumpy,' 'Dadoo,' 'Gre-Gre,' 'Kiki,' 'Kerkel,' 'Monga,' 'Nee-Nee,' 'Pots,' 'Rah-Rah' and 'Woo-Woo.' Martha and Grant talk about the endlessly inventive names grandchildren call their grandparents.'They also discuss 'Seinfeldisms,' 'couch potatoes,' and where in the world your car can and will be stopped by robots. Really! You've heard people describe something momentous as 'a watershed moment' in history. What is a watershed, exactly? Besides an Indigo Girls' song , that...2009-07-2051 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overA Walk Spoiled But Our Lie is Good - 13 July 2009[This episode first aired March 14, 2009.] If English isn't your first language, there are lots of ways to learn it, such as memorizing Barack Obama's speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention. Martha and Grant talk about some of the unusual ways foreigners are learning to speak English. Also, a golfer wonders if it's ever proper to say 'I'm going golfing' rather than 'I'm going to play golf.' And they share an easy way to remember the difference between 'lie' and 'lay.' Here's the The New Yorker article about Crazy English that Grant mentions. 2009-07-1351 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overChicken Scratches and Creaky Voice - 29 June 2009[This episode first aired February 23, 2009.] Does your 'handwriting' look like chicken scratches, calligraphy, or maybe something in between? Martha and Grant discuss the 'state of penmanship,' the phenomenon linguists call 'creaky voice,' euphemisms for going to the bathroom, and the New England expression 'I 'hosey' that!' There's a new book out about the history of penmanship. It's called Script & Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting, by Kitty Burns Florey. If you want to claim something--say, the front seat of a car or the last piece of cake--what do you...2009-06-2951 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overL-U-R-V-E, Love - 22 June 2009[This episode first aired February 14, 2009.] Martha and Grant share a couple of favorite online sources for reading about language: Michael Quinion's World Wide Words newsletter and Arnold Zwicky's blog . Be sure to check out Zwicky's post, 'Dialect dangerous to cats' for a look at The Lion Cut If you're a Texan, you may be familiar with the phrases 'raise the window down' and 'help your plate.' If not, you'll find translations here. What's lurve got to do with it? A caller is puzzled by a greeting card with the phrase 'crazy cosmic...2009-06-2251 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overOnce Upon a Time - June 15, 2009[This episode first aired February 7, 2009.] Are fairy tales too scary for children? A survey of parents in Britain found that more than half wouldn't read them to their children before age five. Martha and Grant discuss the grisly imagery in fairy tales, and whether they're too traumatizing for kids. Also, when did 'dog food' become a verb? And does the word butterfly come from 'flutter by'? How did serialized melodramas come to be called soap operas? The answer has to do with the suds-selling sponsors of old-time radio shows. When a theater company...2009-06-1551 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overDays of Wine Flights and Mullets - 1 June 2009[This episode first aired January 24, 2009.] President Barack Obama hopes to boost the economy by pouring federal dollars into efforts to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, much like the old Works Progress Administration of the 1930s. But how about reviving that other jobs program from the New Deal era: the 'Federal Writers Project.' Martha and Grant discuss the pros and cons of subsidizing writers with taxpayer money. A caller from Juneau, Alaska, says she was tickled when her friend from the South told her he loves 'vye-EEN-ers.' It took a while before she realized he...2009-06-0151 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overHip-Hop Book of Rhymes - 13 May 2009Welcome to another minicast from A Way with Words. Iâm Grant Barrett. [Music] Hip-hop is high art. Yeah. Thatâs right. And if you donât understand that, then youâre missing out on some of the best poetry. Literary scholar Adam Bradley examines the style and poetry of hip-hop lyrics in his new book titled: Book of Rhymes, the Poetics of Hip-Hop. 'When a rapper's flow is fully realized,' he writes, 'it forges a distinctive rhythmic identity that is governed by both poetic and musical laws.' A hip...2009-05-1305 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overElvis in a Cheese Sandwich - 9 March 2009[Portions of this episode were first broadcast November 1, 2008.] Apple core, Baltimore! Ever play the rhyming game where you eat an apple, then shout 'apple core,' and then the first person to respond 'Baltimore!' gets to decide where (more specifically, at whom) the core gets tossed. This old-fashioned game is hours of fun for the whole family! We promise. 'A fish stinks from the head down.' When an Indianapolis woman is quoted saying that, she's accused of calling someone a stinky fish. She says she wasn't speaking literally, insisting that this is a...2009-03-0951 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMoonbats and Wingnuts - 1 Dec. 2008[This episode first aired September 20, 2008.] Here's a bit of political slang now making the rounds: sleepover. No, we're not talking about another pol caught with his pants down. We're talking about spending the night with, well, a voting machine. In this week's episode, we examine this and other examples of political language. You call the repairman to fix a balky garage door, but when he gets there, it inexplicably works. You summon a plumber, only to find that when he arrives, your toilet's no longer leaking--and you're out $150. Or you discover that somewhere between your...2008-12-0151 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overA Year of Words - 17 Nov. 2008It's that time again, when people start thinking about a 'new or resurgent word or phrase that best captures the spirit of the past year.' And what a year! We heard the words 'bailout' and 'lipstick' more times than we'd ever dreamed, and saw also the rise of invented words like 'staycation' and 'recessionista.' What are your nominations for 2008's Word of the Year? 'Do English-speaking foreigners understand you better if you speak English with a foreign accent?' A Californian says that on a recent visit to Armenia, he discovered the locals had an...2008-11-1751 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overPwned Prose, Stat! - 10 Nov. 2008[This episode first aired September 13, 2008.] When you get to the end of a wonderful book, your first impulse is to tell someone else about it. In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss what they've been reading and the delights of great prose. An Illinois man recalls that as a kid, he used to mix fountain drinks of every flavor into a concoction he and his friends called a 'suicide.' He wonders if anyone else calls them that. Why a 'suicide'? Because it looks and tastes like poison? It started as a...2008-11-1051 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overHair of the Politics that Bit You - 3 Nov. 2008This week on 'A Way with Words': Feel like having a little 'hair of the dog'? Grant and Martha explain what dog hair has to do with hangover cures. And what do you call it when random objects form a recognizable image, like a cloud resembling a bunny, or the image of Elvis in a grilled cheese sandwich? With all this talk about this year's election ballot, did you ever stop to think about where the word 'ballot' comes from? Martha and Grant discuss terms related to politics, including 'ballot' and 'leg treasurer.' 'A...2008-11-0351 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overRiddled Through With Riddles - 27 Oct. 2008Here's a riddle: 'Nature requires five, custom gives seven, laziness takes nine, and wickedness eleven.' Think you know the answer? You'll find it in this week's episode, in which Grant and Martha discuss this and other old-fashioned riddles. Also: how did the phrase 'going commando' come to be slang for 'going without underwear'? And which word is correct: 'orient' or 'orientate'? To go commando means to 'go without underwear.' But why 'commando'? An Indiana listener says the term came up in conversation with her husband after one of them had a near-wardrobe malfunction. She mercifully...2008-10-2751 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overThe Secret Language of Families - 8 Sept. 2008[This episode first aired January 19th, 2008.] Does your family use a special word you've never heard anywhere else? A funny name for 'the heel of a loaf of bread,' perhaps, or for 'visiting relatives who won't leave.' In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss 'family words,' and Martha reveals the story behind her own family's secret word, 'fubby.' Why do we say that someone who's pregnant is 'knocked up'? The hit movie starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen has a caller wondering about this term. A man whose...2008-09-0851 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overInsegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 25 Aug. 2008[This episode first aired December 8th and 9th, 2007.] This week Martha and Grant honor winners of the Ig Nobel Prizes, those wacky awards for weird academic research and they help a caller decipher a puzzling word from a personals ad: what does 'paratereseomaniac' mean? A electronic teenager repellent? An alarm clock that runs away from you to make you'll wake up? Yep, it's the Ig Nobel Prizes, those awards for academic research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think. Martha and Grant honor this year's winners for linguistics and literature. ...2008-08-2551 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWord Jocks, Lettered in Language - 17 Aug. 2008[This episode originally aired Dec. 1, 2007.] Pass the Gatorade! Martha and Grant work up a sweat this week as they tackle a sports quiz and lob vocabulary questions back and forth. They also settle a family dispute about the pronunciation of 'eco-friendly' and unlock the etymology of 'skeleton key.' Do you know what a 'rampike' is? Or a 'colobus'? Martha and Grant test each other's knowledge of ten-dollars words with the online quiz at FreeRice.com. A reader of Anthony Bourdain's 'Kitchen Confidential' thinks the book is snarky--but what does 'snarky' really mean?2008-08-1751 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overGive It the Old College Slang - 11 August 2008[This episode originally aired May 17, 2008.] If someone calls you 'dibby,' should you be flattered or insulted? You'd know if you were in college a century ago--it's outdated college slang! Also, we are 'voluntold' to play a word puzzle about Unknown Superheroes! What do we call it when new inventions or ideas change the name of something old? It used to be that the word 'guitar' was sufficient, but now we regularly distinguish between an 'acoustic guitar' and an 'electric guitar.' Same for television, a word that sufficed until we started saying 'color television' t...2008-08-1151 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overPut a Snap on the Grouch Bag - 28 July 2008This episode first aired May 5, 2008. ... Have you ever eaten a 'Benedictine sandwich'? Or savored a juicy 'pork steak'? What's a favorite dish you grew up with that may be mystifying to someone from another part of the country? Also, what does it mean to tell someone to 'put a snap on the grouch bag'? A rugby referee from Indiana calls to ask if his sport is the origin of the word 'touchdown' as it is used in American football. How do you pronounce the word 'patronize'? Is one pronunciation used if...2008-07-2851 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overBarbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 7 July 2008[This episode originally aired March 15, 2008.] Unless you've been hiding out in a galaxy far, far away, you know that this is an election year. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of 'glass pockets'? Or 'horseracism'? Is there an etymological connection between 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'? A caller wants to settle a friendly argument: Is something not worth debating called a 'moot point' or a 'mute point'? A listener calls from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to say that in her native Spanish, she can use several different words for 'love' to...2008-07-0751 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overPaper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 30 June 2008[This episode first aired March 8, 2008.] You've just read a terrific paperback novel. Would you feel any differently about it if you'd the same words on the glowing screen of an electronic book? Martha and Grant discuss the social and psychological implications of books that run on batteries. A caller remembers an odd phrase from her childhood. If she asked too many questions, her mother would brush them off with the phrase 'layers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.' Say what? A Milwaukee listener is curious about an expression he uses to...2008-06-3051 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overCelebrate National Grammar Day - 23 June 2008[This episode originally aired March 3, 2008.] Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day. Also, when you're scribbling on a piece of paper, do you find yourself expecting spellcheck to kick in and underline your misspellings with squiggly red lines? A caller wants a term for the act of trying to do offline what can only be done online. Let's see...there's National Cheese Day on January 20 and of course National Iguana Awareness Day on September 8. So it's only fitting that good grammar should get a day...2008-06-2351 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overCruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 16 June 2008[This episode first aired February 23, 2008.] Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York City. http://www.crosswordtournament.com/ An Atlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew up using the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains the connection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.' Which is the correct form: 'driver license,' 'drivers' license,' or...2008-06-1651 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overExpresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 9 June 2008[This episode originally aired February 16, 2008.] There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world today, and by some estimates, they're dying off at the rate of one every week. What's lost when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and efforts to record some endangered languages before they die out completely. A caller named Holly confesses that there's a word that practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it. Grant assures her she's not alone in her aversion to the word--Holly, cover your eyes--'moist.' Grant and Martha discuss the psychological...2008-06-0951 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overRoad Trip! - 26 May 2008[This episode originally aired January 26 and 27, 2008.] In this episode, a listener says his friend Harold likes to do social phoning while driving, so he's invented a term for mindless calling while in the car. And no, it's not 'car-pe diem.' Also, Martha and Grant also discuss the rules of the road games 'padiddle' and 'slug bug.' Maybe you know it as 'perdiddle,' but a Wisconsinite shares memories of playing 'padiddle.' You need at least two people in a car, an oncoming vehicle with a headlight out, and, depending on which version...2008-05-2651 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overBite the Wax Tadpole - 24 March 2008(This episode first aired December 15, 2007.) In this episode, Martha and Grant discuss advertising slogans and product names supposedly botched in translation. 'Biting the Wax Tadpole'? It's the wacky title of a new book by language enthusiast Elizabeth Little which has Martha and Grant talking about whether Coca-Cola and Chevrolet ran into cultural translation problems when selling products abroad. Did the Chevy Nova really sell poorly in Latin America because 'No va' means 'don't go' in Spanish? A caller wants help understanding a phrase he saw in 'Sports Illustrated': 'enough money to burn a...2008-03-2451 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overWords of the Year - 24 Dec. 2007In this episode, Grant offers a peek at some expressions he's nominating for the American Dialect Society's Word of the Year vote in January. Will it be 'w00t,' 'subprime,' or something else? You can also check out Grant's longer look at 'word of the year' contenders in The New York Times Week in Review section on Sunday. Get out your plastic utensils and pull up a folding chair! A caller's question about the origin of the word 'potluck' stirs up mouthwatering memories of crispy fried chicken, warm peach cobbler, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows...2007-12-2451 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overSeason Premiere: Howdy, It's a Wit's War! - 26 Nov. 2007It's a brand-new season here on 'A Way with Words!' To celebrate, Martha and Grant are noodling with anagrams--including the one in the title of this episode. Also: A New York schoolteacher asks, 'Why do we call our little finger a 'pinkie'?' Another caller snickers over a newscaster's attempt to pronounce the word 'homage.' A Hoosier who's been hanging out on motorcycle discussion boards is curious about the origin of the term 'do-rag.' 'Why is an undesirable task is called a 'g-job,'' asks a crew member...2007-11-2651 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overGrant: Nosy Parkers and Butternuts - 20 Nov. 2007Grant goes through the mailbag, offering answers about the terms 'nosy parker,' 'out of pocket,' and about whether the word 'falsehood' has its origins in medieval garb. He also throws a question out to listeners about what is supposedly a mild British oath, 'butternut!' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-11-2104 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMartha and Grant: Points on a Compass, the Saga ContinuesRemember Tom, the guy who's still trying to remember a word he insists he learned long ago meaning 'the points on a compass'? That call generated a boatload of more proposed answers from listeners. But one response stood out above all the others, so Martha and Grant go back to Tom for a third time with what they hope is the right answer. PLUS: Brand-new, one-hour shows will start appearing in the podcast feed November 21st. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-11-1407 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMartha and Grant: The Blue Bark Mystery - 7 Nov. 2007A caller asks a delicate question about the phrase 'blue bark shipment,' a term involving the transport of deceased members of the military. Martha and Grant discuss this puzzling expression and the challenge of tracking down its origins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-11-0808 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMartha and Grant: Let's Blow This Joint - 31 Oct. 2007A caller sends Grant and Martha off on a slang-infested trip about ways of saying a fast good-bye. Listen as they blow pop, popcorn, and taco stands by way of author Jim Harrison, the comic strip Funky Winkerbean, and a Warhol hanger-on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-10-3106 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overGrant: Dangerous Books You Should Read - 24 Oct. 2007Discover the joys (and temptations!) of two new books of collected wisdom: The Yale Book of Quotations, edited by Fred Shapiro, and James Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists. Grant explains why leafing through such books can be rewarding, but hazardous to your time management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-10-2406 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMartha and Grant: Hey, That's Mine! - 17 Oct. 2007When you were a child and wanted to lay claim to something, what did you say? Did you call dibs? Or did you hosey it? A caller is curious about another verb used in such situations: finnie. Grant explains this word's meaning and origin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-10-1706 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMartha: Appalachian Cackleberries - 10 Oct. 2007Martha reminisces about her family's mountain roots while dipping into the delicious vocabulary of Southernisms found in the Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English. Listen to this one, ya'll, and you find out what a cackleberry is, and why you don't want to drink milk thatâs blinky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-10-1005 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMartha: The Love Dimple - 3 Oct. 2007What's the name for that little dent in your upper lip? It's called a philtrum. Martha reveals the erotic origins of this word, and proves once again that etymology is nothing if not sexy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-10-0305 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overMartha: A Collection of Collective Nouns - 26 Sept. 2007And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: The results of the A Way with Words Collective Noun Contest! What collective noun would you apply to groups of 1) tennis players, 2) aliens from outer space, and 3) language-loving word hosts? You sent us a cleverness of witty entries, and Martha has the winners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-09-2606 min
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overThis Week or Next? (minicast)The Pod Couple—also known as Martha and Grant—consider just when is "next week" or "this Monday" anyway? A husband and wife with a long running dispute turn to Martha and Grant for help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2007-09-1209 minA Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overThe Train is Servicing the Station (minicast)Yo, listeners! There’s another online-only podcast from “A Way with Words.” This time, Grant answers questions about the word “agio” from a fellow in Kamloops—learn more about that name, too—and he responds to reader mail about the expression “bleeding edge” and whether the word “email” is singular or plural. Also, Martha and Grant talk with a caller peeved about the seemingly salacious wording of a public-service announcement he hears during his daily train commute in Washington, D.C.Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Wor...2007-08-1005 min