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

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Who is Chester Drawers? - 11 July 2011 Jul 08, 2011

Show notes

Some 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?

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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A Yankee Dime - 4 July 2011 Jul 01, 2011

Show notes

Remember 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.

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Tweet Nothings - 13 June 2011 Jun 13, 2011

Show notes

How 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.

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Get Your Nickels Together for a Jitney Supper (Rebroadcast) - 6 June 2011 Jun 06, 2011

Show notes

Anagrams, 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.

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Everything is Tickety-Boo - 9 May 2011 May 09, 2011

Show notes

News 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-pound gorilla in the room.”

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Ultimate Slang Dictionary - 2 May 2011 May 02, 2011

Show notes

When 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? We discuss these and other terms from Green’s Dictionary of Slang. Why do we call a waste of taxpayer money a boondoggle? What does it mean to 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 for lanyards, and a new spin on a musical joke: brown chicken, brown cow.

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Like Death Eating a Cracker (Rebroadcast) - 25 Apr. 2011 Apr 25, 2011

Show notes

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 a multitouch screen? In other words, what is the opposite of a pinch? 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?

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A Pickle Short of a Jar (rebroadcast) - 20 Apr. 2011 Apr 20, 2011

Show notes

“A 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?

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A Murphy, a Melvin, and a Wedgie (Rebroadcast) - 29 March 2011 Mar 29, 2011

Show notes

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.” It’s called “Let’s Eat Grandma!” or “Let’s eat, Grandma!” Martha and Grant talk about their favorite tongue-in-cheek Facebook groups for grammar lovers. Also this week: when to use apostrophes, whether to distinguish between bring and take, and the difference between a murphy and a wedgie.

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Sailor's Delight (Rebroadcast) - 21 March 2011 Mar 22, 2011

Show notes

“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. Also this week: Is there a better alternative to the word mentee? What’s pooflapoo pie?

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