A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Episodes
Just a Dite about Sculch and Dooryards - 26 Jan. 2009
26 Jan 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Where in the world would you be likely to find sculch in your dooryard, or ask for just a dite of cream in your coffee? Martha has the answers in this...
Will The Rain Hurt The Rhubarb? - 17 January 2009
17 Jan 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Obamamania, Obamabot, Obamathon, Obamamentum— the list of variations on the name “Obama” goes on and on. Is there an English word that means “...
Hoopoe Heads - 12 Jan. 2009
12 Jan 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Listen: Can you guess what this is? 'Huup huup huup . . . huup huup huup . . . huup huup huup.' No, it's not Morse code. Not a baby chimp. It's the ...
A Moniker for Your Monitor - 12 Jan. 2009
12 Jan 2009
Contributed by Lukas
Fess up: do you have a pet name for your car? How about your computer? Martha and Grant discuss the urge to give nicknames to inanimate objects in our...
Automobile Words of the Year - 29 Dec. 2008
29 Dec 2008
Contributed by Lukas
We're continuing our look at some of the words of the year of 2008. Last week we talked about words that came from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Gas pri...
The Lipstick Express - 15 Dec. 2008
15 Dec 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Hockey mom, mavericky, snow machines, and--how could we forget that other memorable phrase from the 2008 presidential campaign?--lipstick on a pig. So...
I Can Has Shimmery Eyez - 15 Dec. 2008
15 Dec 2008
Contributed by Lukas
The death of Martha's favorite cat Typo prompts her to reminisce about him, and about one of her favorite ailurophilic words, chatoyant. My cat Typo ...
PUMA (minicast) - 8 Dec. 2008
08 Dec 2008
Contributed by Lukas
We're continuing our look at some of the words of the year of 2008. Last week we talked about "ground game." Another political term that we crossed p...
Ground Game (minicast) - 1 Dec. 2008
01 Dec 2008
Contributed by Lukas
We're continuing our look at some of the words of the year of 2008. Being an election year, it generated a huge amount of political language. One...
Moonbats and Wingnuts - 1 Dec. 2008
01 Dec 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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 ...
Nuke the Fridge - 23 Nov. 2008
24 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
We kick off our series on contenders for 2008's "Word of the Year" with a look at "nuke the fridge." The American Dialect Society will hold the 19th ...
A Year of Words - 17 Nov. 2008
17 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
It'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 ...
Of Gossamer and Geese (minicast) - 10 Nov. 2008
10 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
It's a warm day in late autumn. You're out for a stroll in the country. If the air is still, and the sun is at just the right angle, you may see the g...
Pwned Prose, Stat! - 10 Nov. 2008
10 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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 t...
Language Headlines (minicast) - 3 Nov. 2008
03 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Last year British slang lexicographer Jonathon Green struck a deal with the publisher Chambers Harrap to create an exhaustive dictionary of English sl...
Hair of the Politics that Bit You - 3 Nov. 2008
03 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
This 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. An...
Riddled Through With Riddles - 27 Oct. 2008
27 Oct 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Here'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 ...
Darwinism and the Dictionary (minicast) - 20 Oct. 2008
20 Oct 2008
Contributed by Lukas
The British publishers of the Collins dictionary have announced 24 words on their endangered species list. They're words like 'vilipend,' which means ...
Reading the OED from A to Z - 13 Oct. 2008
13 Oct 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Reading the OED from A to Z (minicast) Word nerd Ammon Shea quit his job as a furniture mover in New York City to spend an entire year reading the en...
Language Headlines (minicast) - 6 Oct. 2008
06 Oct 2008
Contributed by Lukas
The world of politics tops this week's language headlines, including an explanation of the Bradley effect, and the ongoing debate over bilingual educa...
Regional Food Names: When Is a Milkshake Not a Milkshake? Minicast - 29 Sept. 2008
29 Sep 2008
Contributed by Lukas
We asked you to tell us about odd regional food names, and boy did you oblige! Martha reads some of your letters about whoopie pies, hot tamales, p...
Antipodes and Grooks Minicast - 22 Sept. 2008
22 Sep 2008
Contributed by Lukas
A listener in Brazil challenges Martha's pronunciation of the odd English word antipodes. Their email exchange leads Martha to muse about a favorite c...
Maverick and Gobbledygook Minicast - 15 Sept. 2008
15 Sep 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Mmmmmaverick. Maverick, Maverick, Maverick. Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick. Maverick. Is it just my imagination, or are we hearing this word ...
Lackabookaphobia? Minicast - 8 Sept. 2008
08 Sep 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Some people wouldn't be caught without the season's latest fashions, and others never leave home without their asthma inhaler. But for some of us, wha...
The Secret Language of Families - 8 Sept. 2008
08 Sep 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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 ...
Pair o' Docs Paradox Minicast - 1 Sept. 2008
01 Sep 2008
Contributed by Lukas
A caller from Imperial Beach, California has a punctuation question: Dr. Tei Fu Chen and his wife, Dr. Oi Lin Chen own and operate a large, multinatio...
Language Headlines Minicast- 25 August 2008
25 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Grant has the latest headlines from the world of language, including the debate over the name of the home of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Is 'Beijing' pr...
Insegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 25 Aug. 2008
25 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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 ...
When is a Bell Pepper a Mango? Minicast - 17 Aug. 2008
17 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
When is a mango not a mango? Why, when it's a bell pepper, of course! An Indiana listener says she and her Kentucky in-laws have entirely different na...
Word Jocks, Lettered in Language - 17 Aug. 2008
17 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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 voca...
Language Headlines - 11 August 2008
11 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Grant dishes up the latest language headlines from around the world. Oh, what a difference a letter can make! The Moscow Times reports this week that...
Give It the Old College Slang - 11 August 2008
11 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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 ...
Name That Accent Minicast - 3 August 2008
04 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
For true word nerds, it's a guilty pleasure. You meet a stranger, and you find yourself listening closely to that person's way of speaking as you try ...
Index v. Indice Minicast - 28 July 2008
28 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
A caller has client who uses what sounds like a strange, three-syllable word: indice. The caller knows that the plural of index is indices. But, he wo...
Put a Snap on the Grouch Bag - 28 July 2008
28 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
This 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 ...
Small Talk, the Word Game Minicast - 21 July 2008
21 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Puzzle Guys John Chaneski and Greg Pliska team up to make double trouble for Martha and Grant. The four divide into teams, and the object of the game ...
Emoticons Minicast - 14 July 2008
14 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
A listener has a question about emoticons, those little sideways symbols you type to suggest emotions in informal electronic writing. You know, like u...
Dits and Dat Minicast - 7 July 2008
07 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
What's a dittler? What's a dit? A traveling preacher named Fred says he's heard these strange terms in parts of Appalachia used to refer to 'baby chic...
Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 7 July 2008
07 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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. Gran...
Do Singers Have Accents? Minicast - 30 June 2008
30 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
You've heard this happen: A singer belts out a song, and then afterward, she starts talking and you're startled to hear what sounds like a completely ...
Paper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 30 June 2008
30 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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 word...
My Brilliant Careen Minicast- 23 June 2008
23 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
A New York City listener says he's reading lots of thrillers this summer. But a couple of words keep tripping him up. Does a speeding car careen or ca...
Celebrate National Grammar Day - 23 June 2008
23 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[This episode originally aired March 3, 2008.] Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day. Also, wh...
How to Address an Envelope to a Married Couple Minicast - 16 June 2008
16 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
A San Diego woman is bothered by the convention of addressing envelopes to Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. Shouldn't we also include the woman's first name? ...
Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 16 June 2008
16 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[This episode first aired February 23, 2008.] Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for the...
Careful with That Teakettle Minicast! - 9 June 2008
09 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
A caller who grew up in New Jersey remembers hearing a neighbor use the expression 'Hak mir nisht ken tshaynik' whenever she wanted to shush someone. ...
Expresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 9 June 2008
09 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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 t...
The Word Candidate Minicast - 2 June 2008
02 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[This is the first of our 2008 summer minicasts, offered only online.] We hear a lot about political candidates these days. But did you ever stop to ...
An Estival Festival of Summer Minicasts - 2 June 2008
02 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
This week we announce our 2008 summer minicasts, offered only online. It's what we're calling an 'estival festival.' -- Get your language question a...
Road Trip! - 26 May 2008
26 May 2008
Contributed by Lukas
[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,...
Typewriters We Have Loved - 31 Mar. 2008
31 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
(This episode first aired January 5, 2008.) Ding! In this week's episode, Mark Twain would be pleased. Reports that it's the end of the line for the ...
Bite the Wax Tadpole - 24 March 2008
24 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
(This episode first aired December 15, 2007.) In this episode, Martha and Grant discuss advertising slogans and product names supposedly botched in t...
Words of the Year - 24 Dec. 2007
24 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
In 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 ...
Season Premiere: Howdy, It's a Wit's War! - 26 Nov. 2007
26 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
It'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 ...
Grant: Nosy Parkers and Butternuts - 20 Nov. 2007
21 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Grant goes through the mailbag, offering answers about the terms 'nosy parker,' 'out of pocket,' and about whether the word 'falsehood' has its origin...
Martha and Grant: Points on a Compass, the Saga Continues
14 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Remember 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 bo...
Martha and Grant: The Blue Bark Mystery - 7 Nov. 2007
08 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
A caller asks a delicate question about the phrase 'blue bark shipment,' a term involving the transport of deceased members of the military. Martha an...
Martha and Grant: Let's Blow This Joint - 31 Oct. 2007
31 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
A 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 b...
Grant: Dangerous Books You Should Read - 24 Oct. 2007
24 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Discover the joys (and temptations!) of two new books of collected wisdom: The Yale Book of Quotations, edited by Fred Shapiro, and James Geary's Guid...
Martha and Grant: Hey, That's Mine! - 17 Oct. 2007
17 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
When 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 anothe...
Martha: Appalachian Cackleberries - 10 Oct. 2007
10 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Martha reminisces about her family's mountain roots while dipping into the delicious vocabulary of Southernisms found in the Dictionary of Smoky Mount...
Martha: The Love Dimple - 3 Oct. 2007
03 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
What'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 ...
Martha: A Collection of Collective Nouns - 26 Sept. 2007
26 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
And 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 ...
Buffet Flats (minicast)
19 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know what a “buffet flat” is? Is it A) a type of shoe you wear to all-you-can-eat dinners, B) a lull in economic growth predicted by Warren...
This Week or Next? (minicast)
12 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
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 di...
Gardentoolism (minicast)
24 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this summer a word caught my fancy: "gardentoolism." So I made a slang quiz about it! Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, se...
What A Load of Bunk! (minicast)
17 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Few are the words whose origins we know for certain, but “bunk” is one of them. From the mountains of North Carolina to the halls of Congress to e...
The Train is Servicing the Station (minicast)
10 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Yo, listeners! There’s another online-only podcast from “A Way with Words.” This time, Grant answers questions about the word “agio” from a ...
Podcast Bonus! The New Word Open Mic
04 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
In June, Grant attended the biennial meeting of the Dictionary Society of North America. One of the highlights was the New Word Open Mic where anybody...
The Secret Lives of Flowers (minicast)
01 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Martha muses about the secret lives of flowers in this week’s podcast. She’s been pondering the lexical legacy of Carolus Linnaeus, the great Swed...