A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Episodes
Green Eyed Monster - 9 March 2015
09 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We often hear that English is going to hell in a handbasket. Actually, though, linguistic handwringing about sinking standards and sloppy speech has b...
Blind Tiger - 2 March 2015
02 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
When you pick up a book of poems, how many do you read in one sitting? Some people devour several in a row, while others savor them much more slowly. ...
Idiom's Delight - 23 February 2015
23 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A recent study found that some names crop up more frequently than others in certain professions. The name William is especially common among attorneys...
Whistle Britches - 16 February 2015
16 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Writers and where they do their best creative work. A new book on Geoffrey Chaucer describes the dark, cramped, smelly room where he wrote his early ...
Noon Balloon to Rangoon - 9 February 2015
09 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a word you keep having to look up in the dictionary, no matter how many times you’ve looked it up before? Maybe it’s time for a mnemonic ...
Above Your Raisin’ - 2 February 2015
02 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a new kind of hamburger menu that involves pixels, not pickles. It’s that little stack of horizontal lines in the corner of a webpage that...
Monkey's Wedding (Rebroadcast) - 26 January 2015
30 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It’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 ...
Writerly Insults (Rebroadcast) - 19 January 2015
19 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, it’s scary to send your writing to a literary agent. But pity the poor agent who must wade through hundreds of terrible query letters a week! ...
Mr. Can't Died (Rebroadcast) - 12 January 2015
12 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
You pick up what you think a glass of water and take a sip, but it turns out to be Sprite. What’s the word for that sensation when you’re expectin...
Drop A Dime (Rebroadcast) - 5 January 2015
05 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Why call it a doggy bag when it’s really for your husband? Grant and Martha talk about the language of leftovers and why we eat beef and not co...
That Old-Book Smell (Rebroadcast) - 29 December 2014
29 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You walk into a used bookstore, or pull down an old volume at the library, and there it is: The smell of old books. If you detect notes of vanilla in ...
Catch My Fade - 22 December 2014
22 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re sending out party invitations, what’s a sure-fire way to get hold of everyone? Email? Snailmail? Facebook? Texting? Twitter? Or a plain ...
An Urgent Need from A Way with Words
21 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Give 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 cov...
Buckle Down - 15 December 2014
15 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for book recommendations! Martha’s enjoying an armchair tour of important places in the history of our language, and Grant recommends re...
Curse of Knowledge
08 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It’s all about terms of endearment: If your loved one is far away for a long time, you’re probably tired of just saying “I miss you” over and ...
Polyglot Problems (Rebroadcast) - 1 December 2014
01 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the business of business jargon. Say you’re in line at the drugstore. Does it bother you if the cashier says, “Next guest”? In department...
Ride the Merry Go Round (Rebroadcast) - 24 November 2014
24 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A pint-sized mad scientist, a green-haired girl with a contagious sense of wonder, and a 10-year-old detective. They’re all characters in the books ...
Bouncy House of Language (Rebroadcast) - 17 November 2014
17 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Some people proudly embrace the label cancer survivor, while others feel that’s not quite the right word. Is there a better term for someone who’...
An Ear For Wine - 10 November 2014
10 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Creative communication in a noisy world! Writing a clever 140-character tweet isn’t easy. But you know what’s even more impressive? Working all 26...
Electric Hootenanny - 3 November 2014
03 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Bathroom walls, missing graffiti, and social media. Where have all the cute quips on bathroom stalls gone? We wonder about the apparent decline of re...
Do Me a Solid - 27 October 2014
27 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What’s in YOUR spice rack? Say you’re cooking up a pot of chili, and you need to add more of that warm, earthy, powdered spice. Do you reach for a...
Hell's Bells - 20 October 2014
20 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The language of restaurant menus. Need a dictionary to get through a dinner menu? Research shows the longer the description of a particular dish, the ...
I'll Be Sheep Dipped - 13 October 2014
13 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What a difference pronunciation makes! The United States has a Department of Defense, and an individual might take classes in self-defense. So why do ...
Fat Buttery Words - 6 October 2014
05 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Teaching our children, and some advice for writers. Suppose your child is eager to tackle a difficult subject–ancient Greek, for example–but you k...
Month of Sundays - 29 September 2014
22 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re on tenterhooks, it means you’re in a state of anxious anticipation or suspense. But what IS a tenterhook? The answer goes back to a 15t...
On The Shoe Phone (Rebroadcast) - 22 September 2014
22 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
First names like “Patience,” “Hope,” and “Charity” are inspired by worthy qualities. But how about “Be-courteous” or “Hate-evil”? ...
Got Your Six (Rebroadcast) - 15 September 2014
14 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Starting this year, Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants not only have to spell words correctly. A controversial new rule means they’ll have to...
A Hole to China (Rebroadcast) - 8 September 2014
08 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Have a question about objective pronouns? Whom ya gonna call? Wait–is that right? Or would it be “who ya gonna call”? “Whom” may be technica...
Whistling Dixie (Rebroadcast) - 1 September 2014
01 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s most popular dog names are Max and Bella. In the Middle Ages, though, dogs would answer to names like Amiable. Or Nosewise. Or even …...
Gnarly Foot (Rebroadcast) - 25 August 2014
24 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the Up Goer Five Challenge! Try to describe something complex using only the thousand most common words in English. It’s a useful mental exe...
Bump and Grind (Rebroadcast) - 18 August 2014
18 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Remember a few years ago when Amazon introduced that mysterious device called a Kindle? People worried that electronic readers would replace tradition...
Gracious Plenty (Rebroadcast) - 11 August 2014
11 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
When somebody sneezes, we say bless you or gesundheit. But suppose that person coughs. Are you supposed to say something — or are they? Plus, Me...
Cute As a Button (Rebroadcast) - 3 August 2014
03 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Did you ever wonder why we capitalize the pronoun “I,” but not any other pronoun? Also, the romantic story behind the term halcyon days, the orig...
South End of a Chicken (Rebroadcast) - 28 July 2014
28 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Little Pitchers (Rebroadcast) - 21 July 2014
20 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 yo...
Kissed Her on the Stairs (Rebroadcast) - 14 July 2014
13 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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? Wha...
A Dancer Who Walks for a Living (Rebroadcast) - 7 July 2014
06 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You dream of writing the great American novel, but to make ends meet, you spend your days writing boring corporate reports. There’s a difference bet...
Lord Love a Duck - 30 June 2014
29 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Someone should write a love letter to a new book called Letters of Note. It’s a splendid collection of all kinds of correspondence through the ages...
Now You're Cooking with Gas - 23 June 2014
23 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Some of us can’t go anywhere without a book or something to read. And one fast food joint hears you: Chipotle is now printing the work of famous wri...
Pumpkin Floater - 16 June 2014
15 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Your telephone is for talking, right? Or is it? We’re guessing it’s been a while since you sat next to a telephone waiting for it to ring. In fact...
Upstairs Basement - 9 June 2014
09 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Giving your baby an unusual moniker may seem like a great idea at the time. But what if you have second thoughts? One mother of a newborn had such bad...
Make a Train Take a Dirt Road (Rebroadcast) - 2 June 2014
01 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Remember the classic films Dogumentary and $3000? Those were their working titles, before they became Best In Show and Pretty Woman. We look at ...
The One Who Brung You (Rebroadcast) - 26 May 2014
26 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve been reading a book but you’re just not into it. How do you quit it, guilt-free? How do you break up with a book? Also, what do you ask for...
Fake English (Rebroadcast) - 19 May 2014
14 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows you don’t start a sentence with but. But why? Also, how voice recognition technology is changing the way we think and write and what...
Hang a Salami - 12 May 2014
12 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What’s so special about the phrase Sit on a pan, Otis? It’s an example of a palindrome — a word or phrase that’s spelled the same backwards...
Hard Words Are Hard - 5 May 2014
04 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The SAT is changing things up, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Just because words like membranous are no longer in the verbal section does...
Brown As a Berry - 28 April 2014
27 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It used to be that you called any mixed-breed dog a mutt. But at today's dog parks, you're just as likely to run into schnugs, bassadors, and dalmadoo...
Can of Worms (Rebroadcast) - 21 April 2014
20 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What do you call a guy with a bald pate? A chrome dome? Maybe the lucky fellow is sporting a solar panel for a sex machine. Also, which would you ra...
Nothing to Sneeze At - 14 April 2014
13 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Forensic linguists use what they know about speech and writing to testify in courtrooms. And get out your hankies! Martha and Grant are talking about ...
Keep Your Pants On - 7 April 2014
06 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
If everyone on the planet spoke a single language, wouldn't that make life a whole lot easier? For that matter, is a common world language even possib...
Springtime Twitterpation - 31 March 2014
31 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Springtime is the right time to feel twitterpated—you know, you’re smitten beyond a crush. Speaking of relationships, are dog owners really owne...
Dust Bunnies - 24 March 2014
24 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Is it cheating to say you’ve read a book if you only listened to it on tape? Over the centuries, the way we think about reading has changed a lot. T...
Sound of a Kiss - 17 March 2014
17 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You’re at a social gathering and meet someone you’d like to know better. What do you ask to get a real conversation going? Some people lead with “...
Blow a Gasket - 10 March 2014
10 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The 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 e...
Dog-and-Pony Show (Rebroadcast) - 3 March 2014
02 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Remember getting caught sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G? Grant and Martha wax nostalgic on some classic schoolyard rhymes. What do you call your offs...
Good Juju (Rebroadcast) - 24 February 2014
24 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a time when heroin was marketed for the whole family. It really happened! Also, how Twitter, M&M’s, and Hallmark cards got their names. Pl...
Feeling Gruntled - 17 February 2014
17 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Hyperbolic Headlines Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity!!!! Or maybe not. You’ve seen those breathless headlines on the internet, like “You Won’...
The Big Cheese - 10 February 2014
09 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Is it time to replace the expression “the mentally ill”? Some argue the term unfairly stigmatizes a broad range of people. Also, the winter sport ...
By the Seat of Your Pants - 3 February 2014
02 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Dude! We’re used to hearing the word “dude” applied to guys. But increasingly, young women use the word “dude” to address each other. Grant ...
How America Talks - 27 January 2014
26 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
For language lovers, it’s like New Year’s, Fourth of July, and the Super Bowl all rolled into one: The brand-new online edition of the Dictionary...
Polyglot Problems (Rebroadcast) - 20 January 2014
20 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the business of business jargon. Say you’re in line at the drugstore. Does it bother you if the cashier says, “Next guest”? In department...
Ride the Merry-Go-Round (Rebroadcast) - 13 January 2014
13 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A pint-sized mad scientist, a green-haired girl with a contagious sense of wonder, and a 10-year-old detective. They’re all characters in the books ...
Bouncy House of Language (Rebroadcast) - 6 January 2014
06 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Some people proudly embrace the label cancer survivor, while others feel that’s not quite the right word. Is there a better term for someone who’...
On the Shoe Phone (Rebroadcast) - 30 December 2013
30 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
First names like “Patience,” “Hope,” and “Charity” are inspired by worthy qualities. But how about “Be-courteous” or “Hate-evil”? ...
Thrown for a Loop - 23 December 2013
22 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We all lead busy lives—so are speed reading courses a good idea? Plus, if you hear someone speaking with a British accent, do you tend to assume the...
Sexy Prunes - 16 December 2013
15 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
You’re in a business meeting. Is it bad manners to take out your phone to send or read a text? A new study suggests that how you feel about mid-meet...
Not Quite a Boyfriend - 9 December 2013
09 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
If an older man and woman spend lots of time together, going to family gatherings and the like, but they’re NOT dating, what do you call their relat...
Got Your Six (Rebroadcast) - 2 December 2013
02 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Starting this year, Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants not only have to spell words correctly. A controversial new rule means they’ll have to...
Wet Brick - 25 November 2013
24 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
What the fox says may be a mystery, but we do know that dogs bark differently around the world. In China, for example, they say not bow-wow but wan...
Catbird Seat - 18 November 2013
17 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Online recaps of Mad Men or Breaking Bad can be as much fun as the shows themselves. So why not recap classic literature — like, say, Dante’s...
Jumped Up Bald-Headed - 11 November 2013
11 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
What do your pronouns say about your own psychological makeup? If you use the word I a lot, does it mean you’re a leader . . . or a follower? A su...
I'll Be Your Boo - 4 November 2013
03 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re nibbling on slippery Jims or sipping sweet soup, chances are you’re in the Badger State. It’s the language of Wisconsin — explain...
Monkey's Wedding - 28 October 2013
28 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
It’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 ...
Writerly Insults - 21 October 2013
20 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, it’s scary to send your writing to a literary agent. But pity the poor agent who must wade through hundreds of terrible query letters a week! ...
Mr. Can't Died - 14 October 2013
14 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
You pick up what you think a glass of water and take a sip, but it turns out to be Sprite. What’s the word for that sensation when you’re expectin...
Drop a Dime - 7 October 2013
06 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Why call it a doggy bag when it’s really for your husband? Grant and Martha talk about the language of leftovers and why we eat beef and not co...
That Old-Book Smell - 30 September 2013
29 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
You walk into a used bookstore, or pull down an old volume at the library, and there it is: The smell of old books. If you detect notes of vanilla in ...
A Hole to China (Rebroadcast) - 23 September 2013
22 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Have a question about objective pronouns? Whom ya gonna call? Wait–is that right? Or would it be “who ya gonna call”? “Whom” may be technica...
Whistling Dixie (Rebroadcast) - 16 September 2013
16 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s most popular dog names are Max and Bella. In the Middle Ages, though, dogs would answer to names like Amiable. Or Nosewise. Or even …...
Gnarly Foot (Rebroadcast) - 9 September 2013
08 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the Up Goer Five Challenge! Try to describe something complex using only the thousand most common words in English. It’s a useful mental exe...
Bump and Grind (Rebroadcast) - 2 September 2013
01 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Remember a few years ago when Amazon introduced that mysterious device called a Kindle? People worried that electronic readers would replace tradition...
Gracious Plenty (Rebroadcast) - 26 August 2013
26 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
When somebody sneezes, we say bless you or gesundheit. But suppose that person coughs. Are you supposed to say something — or are they? Plus, Me...
Cute As a Button (Rebroadcast) - 19 August 2013
19 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Did you ever wonder why we capitalize the pronoun “I,” but not any other pronoun? Also, the romantic story behind the term halcyon days, the orig...
South End of a Chicken (Rebroadcast) - 12 August 2013
11 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Pie in the Sky (Rebroadcast) August 3, 2013
05 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
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 ge...
Little Pitchers (Rebroadcast) - 29 July 2013
28 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
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 yo...
Kissed Her on the Stairs (Rebroadcast) - 22 July 2013
22 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
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? Wha...
A Dancer Who Walks for a Living (Rebroadcast) - 15 July 2013
14 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
You dream of writing the great American novel, but to make ends meet, you spend your days writing boring corporate reports. There’s a difference bet...
Make a Train Take a Dirt Road (Rebroadcast) - 8 July 2013
05 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Remember the classic films Dogumentary and $3000? Those were their working titles, before they became Best In Show and Pretty Woman....
Polyglot Problems - 1 July 2013
24 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the business of business jargon. Say you’re in line at the drugstore. Does it bother you if the cashier says, “Next guest”? In department...
Ride the Merry-Go-Round - 24 June 2013
23 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
A pint-sized mad scientist, a green-haired girl with a contagious sense of wonder, and a 10-year-old detective. They’re all characters in the books ...
Bouncy House of Language - 17 June 2013
16 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Some people proudly embrace the label cancer survivor, while others feel that’s not quite the right word. Is there a better term for someone who’...
The One Who Brung You (Rebroadcast) - 10 June 2013
09 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve been reading a book but you’re just not into it. How do you quit it, guilt-free? How do you break up with a book? Also, what do you ask for...
On the Shoe Phone - 3 June 2013
02 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
First names like “Patience,” “Hope,” and “Charity” are inspired by worthy qualities. But how about “Be-courteous” or “Hate-evil”? ...
Fake English (Rebroadcast) - 27 May 2013
26 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows you don’t start a sentence with but. But why? Also, how voice recognition technology is changing the way we think and write and what...
Can of Worms (Rebroadcast) - 20 May 2013
19 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
What do you call a guy with a bald pate? A chrome dome? Maybe the lucky fellow is sporting a solar panel for a sex machine. Also, which would you ra...
Got Your Six - 13 May 2013
12 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Starting this year, Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants not only have to spell words correctly. A controversial new rule means they’ll have to...
Nothing to Sneeze At (Rebroadcast) - 6 May 2013
05 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Forensic linguists use what they know about speech and writing to testify in courtrooms. And get out your hankies! Martha and Grant are talking about ...
Gone Pecan (Rebroadcast) - 29 April 2013
29 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How did the word gay go from meaning lighthearted to homosexual? Also, why are elementary schools sometimes called grammar schools? Plus, imeld...
Dog-and-Pony Show (Rebroadcast) - 22 April 2013
22 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Remember getting caught sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G? Grant and Martha wax nostalgic on some classic schoolyard rhymes. What do you call your offs...