A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

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South End of a Chicken - 28 January 2013 Jan 27, 2013

Show notes

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 the south end of a chicken flying north means. And what’s up with pedantic fellow having to mansplain everything?

Hear hundreds of free episodes and learn more on the A Way with Words website: ⁠https://waywordradio.org⁠. Be a part of the show: call or text ⁠1 (877) 929-9673⁠ toll-free in the United States and Canada; elsewhere in the world, call or text ⁠+1 619 800 4443⁠. Send voice notes or messages via ⁠WhatsApp 16198004443.⁠ Email ⁠words@waywordradio.org⁠. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.

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Like a Bad Penny (Rebroadcast) - 21 January 2013 Jan 20, 2013

Show notes

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 turned up like a bad penny? And is it proper to refer to our recent economic problems as the Great Recession? Plus, favorite letters of the alphabet, taking umbrage, fudgies vs. flatlanders, and washrag vs. washcloth.

Hear hundreds of free episodes and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org. Be a part of the show: call or text 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; elsewhere in the world, call or text +1 619 800 4443. Send voice notes or messages via WhatsApp 16198004443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.

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The Horse You Rode In On (Rebroadcast) - 14 January 2013 Jan 13, 2013

Show notes

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 can you trust Wikipedia?

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The Shank of the Evening (Rebroadcast) - 7 January 2013 Jan 07, 2013

Show notes

What time is it if it’s the crack of chicken? 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, and a look back at the joys of the early internet.

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Rock, Paper, Scissors (Rebroadcast) - 30 December 2012 Dec 30, 2012

Show notes

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 proverbs and slang from the streets to Capitol Hill.

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Clean As a Whistle - 24 December 2012 Dec 24, 2012

Show notes

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? 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, picks for Word of the Year 2012, and Quiz Guy John Chaneski presents his annual news of the year Limerick Challenge. And, do you pronounce the word scone to rhyme with “John” or “Joan”?

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Help support A Way with Words today Dec 21, 2012

Show notes

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. Nothing from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or from stations that air the show. Instead, we rely on your tax-deductible donations.

In fact, A Way with Words is one of just a handful of independent national shows on public radio.

Why do we create and distribute the show at no cost to stations?

Because we believe everyone should be able to learn more about language, no matter who they are, or where they are.

We're creating a place to tell stories about language and share linguistic heirlooms. We're supporting literacy and lifelong learning. We're supporting better human understanding by encouraging better communication. Help us keep making a difference. Make your tax-deductible donation now.

https://waywordradio.org/donate

Sincerely,

Martha and Grant,
co-hosts of A Way with Words

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Pie in the Sky - 17 December 2012 Dec 16, 2012

Show notes

Looking for a book to read with the kids, or maybe a guide to becoming a better writer? 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!

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Little Pitchers - 10 December 2012 Dec 10, 2012

Show notes

Did you know reading poetry improves your prose? That includes hip-hop lyrics, too. Also, how linguist can guess where you come from based on how you speak. 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.

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Kissed Her on the Stairs - 3 December 2012 Dec 02, 2012

Show notes

Do Americans use the same sign language as the British? And what do Japanese people use instead of umm? Plus, why do we vote at polling places? What goes into file 13? All this, a word quiz, commode vs. toilet, saditty and bougie, and cute stuff that kids say!

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