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

Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 30 Nov. 2009

30 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired May 10, 2008.] We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle words on purpose? Do you ever say 'fambly' i...

Shivaree - 4 Nov. 2009

04 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to another minicast from A Way with Words. I'm Martha Barnette. You may remember the call we had from Tony in Encinitas, California. He was c...

Tilly Tickets (minicast) - 20 Oct. 2009

20 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Did you ever use a tilly ticket in the bathroom? Over the years, we've answered lots of your questions about words and phrases that have to do with ...

Roy Blount Jr. Slings Southern Slang (minicast) - 15 Oct. 2009

15 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Humorist Roy Blount Jr. stops by to try his hand at a slang quiz specifically about Southernisms. Blount, who is president of the Authors Guild, also...

We Cook Off Our Potatoes (minicast) - 13 Oct. 2009

13 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

If a restaurant menu states, 'We cook off our potatoes,' what in the heck does that mean? A truck driver who encountered such an announcement at a roa...

What's Slang Jang? (minicast) - 8 Oct. 2009

08 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

No, it's not the neurological effect of spending too much time researching odd new terms. Slang jang is a tongue-tickling sauce found in East Texas. F...

Nuclearly (minicast) - 6 Oct. 2009

06 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Is it acceptable to make a brand-new adverb simply by adding an -ly to an adjective? A scientist wants to know, and specifically a term she uses, nucl...

West Word, Ho! - 28 Sept. 2009

28 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

It's a brand-new season of A Way with Words! Grant has big news, too: He's used up his last Metrocard, packed up his belongings, and moved to the Left...

English Down Under - 21 Sept. 2009

21 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode originally aired October 11, 2008.] This week, Martha and Grant discuss terms from Australia, including aerial ping-pong, pumpkin squat...

Oh-ah, Oh-ah: That's How We Roll (minicast) - 17 Sept. 2009

17 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Does your family have a word for the cardboard tube left over from a roll of toilet paper? A caller says his family refers to them Oh-ah, Oh-ahs. Turn...

The Prehistoric Mother Tongue (minicast) - 15 Sept. 2009

15 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Many of the world's languages apparently derived from a prehistoric common ancestor known as Indo-European. But since no one ever wrote down a word of...

Never Bolt Your Door with A Boiled Carrot - 14 Sept. 2009

14 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired October 4, 2008.] Proverbs pack great truths into a few well-chosen words, no matter which language you speak. Check out th...

The Txting Db8 - 7 Sept. 2009

07 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired Sept. 27, 2009.] OMG, text messaging! It's destroying the English language, corrupting young minds, turning us into a natio...

Bogarting Bangers - 31 Aug. 2009

31 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired June 6, 2009.] Has the age of email led to an outbreak of exclamation marks? Do women use them more than men? Also, is ther...

Words With K in Them Are Funny - 17 Aug. 2009

17 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired May 16, 2009.] Pickle, baboon, cupcake, snorkel, pumpkin, Kalamazoo -- let's face it, some words are just plain funny. But ...

Bothered by People Talking in the Third Person? (minicast) - 13. Aug. 2009

13 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Does it bug you when people talk about themselves in the third person? A caller finds herself mightily annoyed by this habit, which she observes espec...

Going for that Anti-Marketing Dollar - 10 Aug. 2009

10 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired May 2, 2009.] In this downbeat economy, some advertisers are reaching for upbeat language. Take the new Quaker Oats catchph...

How Do You Pronounce "Etiquette"? Minicast -7 Aug. 2009

07 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

If a colleague repeatedly mispronounces a word, what's the best way to handle it? Should you correct him? Ignore it? Is it possible to discuss the pro...

Don't Give Me Any of That Flannel Minicast - 5 Aug. 2009

05 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

The English language has no shortage of words that mean nonsensical talk, including one that's piqued a listener's curiosity: How did flannel come to ...

Like a Duck on a June Bug - 3 Aug. 2009

03 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired Apr. 11, 2009.] Why are the names of cars so unimaginative? Grant argues that auto manufacturers might take inspiration fro...

Moded, Corroded, Your Booty Exploded - 27 July 2009

27 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode originally aired March 28, 2009.] Why is it that what you say to your family and what they hear are different? If you say 'no,' your ch...

Magnolia Mouth, Zero Plurals, and Cluster Simplification (minicast) - 22 July 2009

22 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

An Alabama high-school teacher observes that one of his fellow teachers tends to write words that should be plural as singular, such as 'I graded all ...

I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Overlords - 20 July 2009

20 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired March 21, 2009.] Sure, there's 'Grandma' and 'Grampa,' but there's also 'Gammy,' 'Bumpy,' 'Dadoo,' 'Gre-Gre,' 'Kiki,' 'Kerk...

A Walk Spoiled But Our Lie is Good - 13 July 2009

13 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired March 14, 2009.] If English isn't your first language, there are lots of ways to learn it, such as memorizing Barack Obama'...

Trespasses vs. Debts - 9 July 2009

09 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

A caller wonders why some versions of The Lord's Prayer include the phrase 'forgive us our trespasses,' while others substitute the word 'debt.' -- ...

Postal Abbreviations - 8 July 2009

08 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

What's the deal with using the two-letter postal code abbreviations for states, instead of the longer, more formal abbreviations? That is, why write I...

Chicken Scratches and Creaky Voice - 29 June 2009

29 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired February 23, 2009.] Does your 'handwriting' look like chicken scratches, calligraphy, or maybe something in between? Martha...

A Snarl of Serial Commas - 24 June 2009

24 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Are serial commas always necessary? An English teacher says she was surprised to learn that she and her husband, who's also an English teacher, are gi...

L-U-R-V-E, Love - 22 June 2009

22 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired February 14, 2009.] Martha and Grant share a couple of favorite online sources for reading about language: Michael Quinion'...

That's What "Friend" is For? Minicast - 18 June 2009

18 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

How can the word 'friend' possibly describe both the people you went to school with *and* the people to whom you are connected through Facebook and My...

Great Googly Moogly Minicast - 17 June 2009

17 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

'Great Googly Moogly!' A caller wonders where that exclamation comes from. Here's the Snickers commercial that includes the phrase. http://www.youtube...

Summer Housekeeping Minicast - 16 June 2009

16 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

A special message for podcast listeners. Also, this just in: The term gunny sack is a pleonasm! Who knew? (So sue us -- we can't help getting excited ...

Once Upon a Time - June 15, 2009

15 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired February 7, 2009.] Are fairy tales too scary for children? A survey of parents in Britain found that more than half wouldn'...

Falling off the Wagon (minicast) - 3 June 2009

03 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we say someone is 'on the wagon' when they abstain from drinking alcohol? -- Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write wi...

Days of Wine Flights and Mullets - 1 June 2009

01 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[This episode first aired January 24, 2009.] President Barack Obama hopes to boost the economy by pouring federal dollars into efforts to rebuild the...

Hip-Hop Book of Rhymes - 13 May 2009

13 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to another minicast from A Way with Words. Iâm Grant Barrett. [Music] Hip-hop is high art. Yeah. Thatâs right. And if you donât understan...

One Fell Swoop Minicast - 6 May 2009

06 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Martha muses about the language of falconry, and in the process, reveals the origins of several words and phrases in one fell swoop. Did you know tha...

A Conversation with Roy Blount Jr. - 29 April 2009

29 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Humorist Roy Blount Jr. sits down with Grant for a conversation about the controversy over writers' rights and the Amazon Kindle 2. As president of t...

Macaroni and Gravy? - 23 April 2009

23 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're going through the e-mail bag. Here's a savory, sensuous one. It's from Stacey in Boulder, Colorado. Stacey grew up out West, but say...

What's a Hobson's Choice? - 15 April 2009

15 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

What's a 'Hobson's Choice'? If you're facing a Hobson's choice, you don't really have much to choose from. The phrase describes a situation in which ...

What the Cluck? (Part 2) - 1 April 2009

01 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

What The Cluck, Part 2 What does the expression egg on have to do with chickens? Nothing, actually. Martha explains why, and tells the story of how t...

What the Cluck? - 25 March 2009

25 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we received an email from Randy in San Diego. Randy writes: 'I recently got myself three hens for the back yard as a hobby that I thought ...

Stem-winding and Spellbinding Sentences Minicast - 18 March 2009

18 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Recently The New Yorker magazine ran a profile of the writer David Foster Wallace, who died last year at the age of 46. The article included a line th...

Leapin' Lexical Inventions - 11 March 2009

11 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Martha explains how experiments with dead frogs and live wires led to the invention of the battery, and inspired a couple of familiar English words. ...

Elvis in a Cheese Sandwich - 9 March 2009

09 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

[Portions of this episode were first broadcast November 1, 2008.] Apple core, Baltimore! Ever play the rhyming game where you eat an apple, then shou...

Twacking around Duckish Minicast - 4 March 2009

04 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Time for another linguistic mystery. Where would you be if you decided to go twacking around duckish, and then you came home and wrote about it in a ...

How About a Game of Meehonkey? - 16 Feb. 2009

16 Feb 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Time for another linguistic mystery. In what part of the country would you be likely to hear older folks using the following phrases? 'He sure was mo...

Love Joe Floggers? So Don't I! - 2 Feb. 2009

02 Feb 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Time to solve another linguistic mystery. You're in a restaurant. You overhear a conversation at the next table. The woman says to her friend, 'You k...

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 ...

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...

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 ...