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

Latest Episodes:

One Space or Two (rebroadcast) - 5 September 2011 Sep 05, 2011

Show notes

Is typing two spaces after a period “totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong?” 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.”

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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See The Elephant (rebroadcast) - 29 August 2011 Aug 29, 2011

Show notes

If you’ve “seen the elephant,” it means you’ve been in combat. But why an elephant? Martha and Grant also discuss some odd idioms in Spanish, including one that translates as “your bowtie is whistling.” And what names do you call your grandparents?

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Eastern Seaboard West Coast (Rebroadcast) - 22 August 2011 Aug 22, 2011

Show notes

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.

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Red Light, Green Light (minicast) - 17 Aug. 2011 Aug 17, 2011

Show notes

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.

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Nerd vs Geek (rebroadcast) - 15 August 2011 Aug 15, 2011

Show notes

Books that make great gifts for language-lovers, the difference between a nerd and a geek, and talk about a new term, poutrage, and what do you call the crust in the corners of your eyes after a night’s sleep?

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Of Pupae and Pupils (Minicast) - 10 Aug. 2011 Aug 10, 2011

Show notes

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 insect’s life.

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Infix is Just Another Word for Fanfreakintastic (Minicast) - 3 Aug. 2011 Aug 03, 2011

Show notes

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 term, infix, for inserting at least one extra syllable into a word to make it more emphatic.

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Cannibal Sandwich (rebroadcast) - 1 August 2011 Aug 01, 2011

Show notes

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?

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Guess What (Rebroadcast) - 25 July 2011 Jul 25, 2011

Show notes

English is full of unusual terms, both old (eleemosynary, favonian) and new (flyaway, catio). Also, the Swahili term that means “sleep like a log,” the multiple meanings of the word joint, cowpies and horse biscuits, what it means to play gooseberry, and how to punctuate “Guess what?” (or “Guess what!”).

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Lunatic Fringe (Rebroadcast) - 18 July 2011 Jul 18, 2011

Show notes

In 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?

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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