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KPBS A Way with Words Podcasts

PodcastDirectory / Variety / Public Radio
PodcastDirectory / Regions / NA / USA

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A Conversation with Roy Blount Jr. - 29 April 2009

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 the Authors Guild, Blount has argued that writers whose work is featured on the Kindle 2 should earn extra royalties because its text-to-speech feature essentially turns written works into audiobooks. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/opinion/25blount.htmlBlount also discusses his own recent book, Alphabet Juice, talks about 'sonicky' words and ...

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Macaroni and Gravy? - 23 April 2009

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 says she spent summers and Christmases at the home of her maternal grandparents, just north of New York City. 'This side of my family,' she writes, 'is unapologetically Italian. For me, a highlight of every visit was the night of arrival. My grandma would welcome us home with a big pot of gravy. After the day-long trip to get there, Stacey writes, ...

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Almost Up to Possible - 20 April 2009

[This episode originally aired December 13, 2008.]The second edition of the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is chock-full of synonyms, of course, but what makes it special are the essays and usage notes by authors such as Simon Winchester, David Lehman, Zadie Smith, and David Foster Wallace. Grant talks about his experience working as an editor on this volume--and what David Foster Wallace taught him about language. We all know that the 2008 presidential election was historic. But was it ...

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

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 your options are either to take what's offered, or else take nothing at all. Martha offers some choice words about the origin of this term. Recently a friend emailed to ask about a curious phrase she'd run across. A newspaper columnist argued that when it comes to fixing the economy, the Obama administration faces a Hobson's choice. In other wor ...

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Like a Duck on a June Bug - 13 Apr. 2009

Why are the names of cars so unimaginative? Grant argues that auto manufacturers might take inspiration from 'ornithology' to build a better car name. (Then again, would you be any less aggravated if you were rear-ended by a 'lazuli bunting'?) Also this week, why do so many young folks 'pepper their speech with the word 'like,' and what, if anything, can be done about it? All that, plus Luddites, chicken bog, a ducks on June bug, and the possible origins of the phrase to get one's goat.Ever ...

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Dust Bunnies and Ghost Turds - 6 April 2009

[This episode was first aired November 22, 2008.]Feeling fankled? It's a Scots English word that means 'messed up' or 'confused.' In this week's episode, Grant and Martha also discuss a whole litter of synonyms for 'dust bunny,' a slew of different terms for the piece of playground equipment you slide on, and the proper way to refer to a baby platypus.When you were growing up, what did you call that piece of playground equipment that you climb up and then slide down? A former New Jersey res ...

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

What The Cluck, Part 2What does the expression egg on have to do with chickens? Nothing, actually. Martha explains why, and tells the story of how the term curate's egg came to mean 'something with both good and bad characteristics.'Last week I told you about a letter from Randy in San Diego. He's the guy who's raising three chickens in his backyard. That got him wondering about expressions in English involving chicken. For example, what about 'to egg someone on'?Randy says he gave his trio ...

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Moded, Corroded, Your Booty Exploded - 30 Mar. 2009

Why is it that what you say to your family and what they hear are different? If you say 'no,' your child hears 'maybe,' and if you say 'maybe,' she hears 'ask again and again, and yes is just around the corner.' Grant and Martha discuss ways that families communicate and miscommunicate. Also in this episode: the West Coast exclamation 'moded!,' the Navy expression 'turn to,' how to pronounce 'llama,' what it means if someone says your car is 'banjaxed,' and more.Grab some popcorn, slip into ...

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What the Cluck? - 25 March 2009

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 my kids would enjoy. I highly recommend backyard chickens, by the way â theyâre better than television. During the months we have had these chickens, around I have had an opportunity to closely observe their behavior. This has me wondering about all the expressions and words we have in the U.S. related to chickens.'Great question, Randy. For ...

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I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Overlords - 23 March 2009

Sure, there's 'Grandma' and 'Grampa,' but there's also 'Gammy,' 'Bumpy,' 'Dadoo,' 'Gre-Gre,' 'Kiki,' 'Kerkel,' 'Monga,' 'Nee-Nee,' 'Pots,' 'Rah-Rah' and 'Woo-Woo.' Martha and Grant talk about the endlessly inventive names grandchildren call their grandparents.'They also discuss 'Seinfeldisms,' 'couch potatoes,' and where in the world your car can and will be stopped by robots. Really!You've heard people describe something momentous as 'a watershed moment' in history. What is a watershed, ex ...

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Stem-winding and Spellbinding Sentences Minicast - 18 March 2009

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 that I think Foster himself might have appreciated. It went like this: 'He was known for endlessly fracturing narratives and for stem-winding sentences adorned with footnotes that were themselves stem-winders.' So what's a stem-winder?Stem-winder goes back to the mid-19th century. It refers to an invention that was as nifty and state-of-the-art ...

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A Walk Spoiled But Our Lie is Good - 16 March 2009

If English isn't your first language, there are lots of ways to learn it, such as memorizing Barack Obama's speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention. Martha and Grant talk about some of the unusual ways foreigners are learning to speak English. Also, a golfer wonders if it's ever proper to say 'I'm going golfing' rather than 'I'm going to play golf.' And they share an easy way to remember the difference between 'lie' and 'lay.'Here's the The New Yorker article about Crazy English that Grant ...

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Leapin' Lexical Inventions - 11 March 2009

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.I had to change the batteries in my flashlight the other day, and that makes think, as it always does, of Luigi Galvani. No, really, it does. Let me explain: Galvani was an 18th-century Italian physician and physicist whose experiments accidentally paved the way for modern batteries.The focus of his research? Galvani experimented with dead frogs ...

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Elvis in a Cheese Sandwich - 9 March 2009

[Portions of this episode were first broadcast November 1, 2008.]Apple core, Baltimore! Ever play the rhyming game where you eat an apple, then shout 'apple core,' and then the first person to respond 'Baltimore!' gets to decide where (more specifically, at whom) the core gets tossed. This old-fashioned game is hours of fun for the whole family! We promise.'A fish stinks from the head down.' When an Indianapolis woman is quoted saying that, she's accused of calling someone a stinky fish. Sh ...

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Twacking around Duckish Minicast - 4 March 2009

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 scribbler? Any idea? If you're going twacking around duckish, you're likely in Newfoundland. The type of English spoken there may be the most distinctive collection of dialects in Canada. Some of it sounds a lot like Irish-accented English. Other dialects in Newfoundland have echoes of the speech of immigrants from the West Country of England.V ...

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Tweet, Tweet! Polly Wanna Cracker! - 2 March 2009

'Twittering,' 'tweeting,' 'twirting'--it's rare to see a whole new body of language appear right before your eyes. But that's what's happening with 'Twitter.' We discuss the snappy new shorthand of the 'twitterati.' Also, why do people feel compelled to say 'Polly wanna cracker'? whenever they see a parrot? And is it ever okay to 'end a sentence with a preposition'?For a closer look at the language of the 'twitterati,' check out Erin McKean's recent piece in the 'Boston Globe.'http://boston ...

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Chicken Scratches and Creaky Voice - 23 Feb. 2009

Does your 'handwriting' look like chicken scratches, calligraphy, or maybe something in between? Martha and Grant discuss the 'state of penmanship,' the phenomenon linguists call 'creaky voice,' euphemisms for going to the bathroom, and the New England expression 'I 'hosey' that!' There's a new book out about the history of penmanship. It's called Script & Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting, by Kitty Burns Florey. <http://www.kittyburnsflorey.com/index.htm>If you want to c ...

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

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 mommucking his little brother.'And: 'Why, those kids used to play meehonkey every afternoon!' And: 'Ohhhhhhh, I was quamished in the stomach.' Give up? The place you're likely to hear the words mommucking, meehonkey, and quamished is called Ocracoke. It's just off the North Carolina coast -- one of the Outer Banks barrier islands.Settled by the B ...

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L-U-R-V-E, Love - 16 Feb. 2009

Martha and Grant share a couple of favorite online sources for reading about language: Michael Quinion's World Wide Words newsletter <http://www.worldwidewords.org/> and Arnold Zwicky's blog <http://arnoldzwicky.wordpress.com/>. Be sure to check out Zwicky's post, 'Dialect dangerous to cats' for a look at The Lion Cut <http://arnoldzwicky.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/dialect-dangerous-to-cats>If you're a Texan, you may be familiar with the phrases 'raise the window down' and ' ...

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Once Upon a Time - 9 Feb. 2009

Are fairy tales too scary for children? A survey of parents in Britain found that more than half wouldn't read them to their children before age five. Martha and Grant discuss the grisly imagery in fairy tales, and whether they're too traumatizing for kids. Also, when did 'dog food' become a verb? And does the word butterfly come from 'flutter by'?How did serialized melodramas come to be called soap operas? The answer has to do with the suds-selling sponsors of old-time radio shows.When a t ...

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

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 know, I just love the taste of joe floggers.' And her dining companion replies enthusiastically, 'Joe floggers? Oh, so don't I!'Okay, so where would you likely to hear people talk about the joys of 'joe floggers'? Well, chances are you'd probably be in...New England, most likely coastal Massachusetts or Maine. There 'joe flogger' is a name denot ...

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Riddled Through With Riddles - 2 Feb. 2008

[This episode first aired October 25, 2008.]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 this week's episode, in which Grant and Martha discuss this and other old-fashioned riddles. Also: how did the phrase 'going commando' come to be slang for 'going without underwear'? And which word is correct: 'orient' or 'orientate'?To go commando means to 'go without underwear.' But why 'commando'? ...

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Just a Dite about Sculch and Dooryards - 26 Jan. 2009

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 minicast about some distinctive regional terms....Here's a linguistic puzzle for you. Suppose you stopped by my home and said, 'Martha, did you know there's sculch in your dooryard?' That's right, sculch in my dooryard.So, in what part of the country would you expect to hear these terms?The answer? We'd probably be in New England, and most li ...

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Days of Wine Flights and Mullets - 26 Jan. 2009

President Barack Obama hopes to boost the economy by pouring federal dollars into efforts to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, much like the old Works Progress Administration of the 1930s. But how about reviving that other jobs program from the New Deal era: the 'Federal Writers Project.' Martha and Grant discuss the pros and cons of subsidizing writers with taxpayer money.A caller from Juneau, Alaska, says she was tickled when her friend from the South told her he loves 'vye-EEN-ers.' I ...

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Will The Rain Hurt The Rhubarb? - 19 Jan. 2009

The hosts discuss two Obamafications: 'Obamanation' and 'Obamination.' Slate's book and widget that include many Barack Obama-derived words are here: <http://www.slate.com/id/2193793/>.You'd be forgiven for wondering if 'eavesdropping' derives from the idea of would-be spies slipping and falling from the eaves of a house. But it doesn't.Time for a sports question! If an NFL team has a week without having to play a game during the season, it's called a 'bye week.' But a caller says he' ...

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Will The Rain Hurt The Rhubarb? - 19 Jan. 2009

The hosts discuss two Obamafications: 'Obamanation' and 'Obamination.' Slate's book and widget that include many Barack Obama-derived words are here: <http://www.slate.com/id/2193793/>.You'd be forgiven for wondering if 'eavesdropping' derives from the idea of would-be spies slipping and falling from the eaves of a house. But it doesn't.Time for a sports question! If an NFL team has a week without having to play a game during the season, it's called a 'bye week.' But a caller says he' ...

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Hoopoe Heads - 12 Jan. 2009

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 sound of the hoopoe.Funny-looking bird, the hoopoe. It has a pink head, zebra-striped wings, and what looks like a great party hat of pink feathers tipped in black and white.The hoopoe's flight is somewhat erratic, more like a butterfly than a bird. One other odd thing about hoopoes: their nests are extremely stinky. Hoopoes line their nests with ...

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Hoopoe Heads - 12 Jan. 2009

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 sound of the hoopoe.Funny-looking bird, the hoopoe. It has a pink head, zebra-striped wings, and what looks like a great party hat of pink feathers tipped in black and white.The hoopoe's flight is somewhat erratic, more like a butterfly than a bird. One other odd thing about hoopoes: their nests are extremely stinky. Hoopoes line their nests with ...

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A Moniker for Your Monitor - 12 Jan. 2009

[This episode first aired October 18, 2008.]This week on A Way with Words: 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 lives. Also, why do we speak of 'vetting' a political candidate? And what in the world is a 'zoo plane'?Fess up, now: Do you have a pet name for your car? Or maybe you spend so much quality time with your computer that you've given it a particularly affectionate monike ...

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A Moniker for Your Monitor - 12 Jan. 2009

[This episode first aired October 18, 2008.]This week on A Way with Words: 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 lives. Also, why do we speak of 'vetting' a political candidate? And what in the world is a 'zoo plane'?Fess up, now: Do you have a pet name for your car? Or maybe you spend so much quality time with your computer that you've given it a particularly affectionate monike ...

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English Down Under - 5 Jan. 2009

[This episode originally aired October 11, 2008.]This week, Martha and Grant discuss terms from Australia, includingaerial ping-pong, pumpkin squatter, andâkangarooster? They explain the connection between stereotypes and stereos, and why we call the person clearing tables in a restaurant a busboy. Also, what's the plural of moose? Meese? Mooses?Great news for language fans: TheAustralian National Dictionary is now available online for free. It'sfull of fascinating words from Down Under. C ...

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English Down Under - 5 Jan. 2009

[This episode originally aired October 11, 2008.]This week, Martha and Grant discuss terms from Australia, including aerial ping-pong, pumpkin squatter, andâkangarooster? They explain the connection between stereotypes and stereos, and why we call the person clearing tables in a restaurant a busboy. Also, what's the plural of moose? Meese? Mooses?Great news for language fans: The Australian National Dictionary is now available online for free. It's full of fascinating words from Down Under ...

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English Down Under - 5 Jan. 2009

[This episode originally aired October 11, 2008.]This week, Martha and Grant discuss terms from Australia, including aerial ping-pong, pumpkin squatter, andâkangarooster? They explain the connection between stereotypes and stereos, and why we call the person clearing tables in a restaurant a busboy. Also, what's the plural of moose? Meese? Mooses?Great news for language fans: The Australian National Dictionary is now available online for free. It's full of fascinating words from Down Under ...

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Automobile Words of the Year - 29 Dec. 2008

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 prices have been all over the place, but worse still than high gas-prices are accidents caused by DWT, which is short for 'driving while texting.'Legislation and rules were considered in municipalities across the country to stop people from sending text messages on their phones while driving, though few bills seem to have passed.Thanks to high fuel ...

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Automobile Words of the Year - 29 Dec. 2008

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 prices have been all over the place, but worse still than high gas-prices are accidents caused by DWT, which is short for 'driving while texting.'Legislation and rules were considered in municipalities across the country to stop people from sending text messages on their phones while driving, though few bills seem to have passed.Thanks to high fuel ...

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Automobile Words of the Year - 29 Dec. 2008

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 prices have been all over the place, but worse still than high gas-prices are accidents caused by DWT, which is short for 'driving while texting.'Legislation and rules were considered in municipalities across the country to stop people from sending text messages on their phones while driving, though few bills seem to have passed.Thanks to high fuel ...

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Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 29 Dec. 2008

[This episode first aired May 10, 2008.]We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle wordson purpose? Do you ever say 'fambly' instead of family, 'perazackly'for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrotea newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the responsewas enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard toresist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples.APennsylvania minister is curious about ...

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Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 29 Dec. 2008

[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' instead of family, 'perazackly' for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrote a newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the response was enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard to resist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples.A Pennsylvania minister is curious ...

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Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 29 Dec. 2008

[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' instead of family, 'perazackly' for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrote a newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the response was enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard to resist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples.A Pennsylvania minister is curious ...

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The Lipstick Express - 15 Dec. 2008

Hockey mom, mavericky, snow machines, and--how could we forget that other memorable phrase from the 2008 presidential campaign?--lipstick on a pig. Some new and not-so-new terms leapt onto the national stage during Gov. Sarah Palin's run for the vice presidency. Grant discusses these expressions as our 'Word of the Year 2008' series continues.We're continuing our look at some of the words of the year of 2008. Last week we talked about the acronym PUMA.When Sarah Palin took the stage this ye ...

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The Lipstick Express - 15 Dec. 2008

Hockey mom, mavericky, snow machines, and--how could we forget that other memorable phrase from the 2008 presidential campaign?--lipstick on a pig. Some new and not-so-new terms leapt onto the national stage during Gov. Sarah Palin's run for the vice presidency. Grant discusses these expressions as our 'Word of the Year 2008' series continues.We're continuing our look at some of the words of the year of 2008. Last week we talked about the acronym PUMA.When Sarah Palin took the stage this ye ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


The Lipstick Express - 15 Dec. 2008

Hockey mom, mavericky, snow machines, and--how could we forget that other memorable phrase from the 2008 presidential campaign?--lipstick on a pig. Some new and not-so-new terms leapt onto the national stage during Gov. Sarah Palin's run for the vice presidency. Grant discusses these expressions as our 'Word of the Year 2008' series continues.We're continuing our look at some of the words of the year of 2008. Last week we talked about the acronym PUMA.When Sarah Palin took the stage this ye ...

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I Can Has Shimmery Eyez - 15 Dec. 2008

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 was a gray tabby. Greenish-gold eyes, always getting into trouble. In fact, I'm sure that during his 17 years, he used up far more than 9 lives.As a kitten, he once jumped head first into a bathtub filled with water. (All I'm going to say about that is 'ouch.') Staying indoors left him indignant. So I tried to train him to walk on a leash. That ...

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I Can Has Shimmery Eyez - 15 Dec. 2008

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 was a gray tabby. Greenish-gold eyes, always getting into trouble. In fact, I'm sure that during his 17 years, he used up far more than 9 lives. As a kitten, he once jumped head first into a bathtub filled with water. (All I'm going to say about that is 'ouch.') Staying indoors left him indignant. So I tried to train him to walk on a leash. That ...

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I Can Has Shimmery Eyez - 15 Dec. 2008

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 was a gray tabby. Greenish-gold eyes, always getting into trouble. In fact, I'm sure that during his 17 years, he used up far more than 9 lives. As a kitten, he once jumped head first into a bathtub filled with water. (All I'm going to say about that is 'ouch.') Staying indoors left him indignant. So I tried to train him to walk on a leash. That ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Almost Up to Possible - 15 Dec. 2008

We recommend books that make great gifts for language lovers, talk about footwear called go-aheads, and look further into going commando. Also, was the 2008 election a historic event or an historic event?The second edition of the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus<http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Reference/?view=usa&ci=9780195342840> is chock-full of synonyms, of course, but what makes it special are the essays and usage notes by authors such as Simon Winchester, Davi ...

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Almost Up to Possible - 15 Dec. 2008

We recommend books that make great gifts for language lovers, talk about footwear called go-aheads, and look further into going commando. Also, was the 2008 election a historic event or an historic event?The second edition of the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus <http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Reference/?view=usa&ci=9780195342840> is chock-full of synonyms, of course, but what makes it special are the essays and usage notes by authors such as Simon Winchester, Dav ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Almost Up to Possible - 15 Dec. 2008

We recommend books that make great gifts for language lovers, talk about footwear called go-aheads, and look further into going commando. Also, was the 2008 election a historic event or an historic event?The second edition of the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus <http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Reference/?view=usa&ci=9780195342840> is chock-full of synonyms, of course, but what makes it special are the essays and usage notes by authors such as Simon Winchester, Dav ...

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PUMA (minicast) - 8 Dec. 2008

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 paths with was PUMA.PUMA is an acronym for Party Unity My Ass, which began as a Facebook group.Members of that group were Democrats who were disaffected after Hillary Clinton failed to secure a sufficient number of delegates to win the Democratic nomination.Some of these disaffected Democrats formed groups and committees in order to try ...

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PUMA (minicast) - 8 Dec. 2008

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 paths with was PUMA. PUMA is an acronym for Party Unity My Ass, which began as a Facebook group.Members of that group were Democrats who were disaffected after Hillary Clinton failed to secure a sufficient number of delegates to win the Democratic nomination. Some of these disaffected Democrats formed groups and committees in order to t ...

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PUMA (minicast) - 8 Dec. 2008

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 paths with was PUMA. PUMA is an acronym for Party Unity My Ass, which began as a Facebook group.Members of that group were Democrats who were disaffected after Hillary Clinton failed to secure a sufficient number of delegates to win the Democratic nomination. Some of these disaffected Democrats formed groups and committees in order to t ...

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Never Bolt Your Door with A Boiled Carrot - 8 Dec. 2008

[This episode first aired October 4, 2008.]Proverbs pack great truths into a few well-chosen words, no matterwhich language you speak. Check out this one from Belize: 'Don't callthe alligator a big-mouth till you have crossed the river.' And thistruism from Zanzibar: 'When two elephants tussle, it's the grass thatsuffers.' Martha and Grant discuss a new paremiography--a collection ofproverbs--from around the world.A woman from Cape Cod islooking for a polite word that means the current wife ...

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Never Bolt Your Door with A Boiled Carrot - 8 Dec. 2008

[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 this one from Belize: 'Don't call the alligator a big-mouth till you have crossed the river.' And this truism from Zanzibar: 'When two elephants tussle, it's the grass that suffers.' Martha and Grant discuss a new paremiography--a collection of proverbs--from around the world. A woman from Cape Cod is looking for a polite word that means the curre ...

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Never Bolt Your Door with A Boiled Carrot - 8 Dec. 2008

[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 this one from Belize: 'Don't call the alligator a big-mouth till you have crossed the river.' And this truism from Zanzibar: 'When two elephants tussle, it's the grass that suffers.' Martha and Grant discuss a new paremiography--a collection of proverbs--from around the world. A woman from Cape Cod is looking for a polite word that means the curre ...

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Ground Game (minicast) - 1 Dec. 2008

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 expression that was not new, but which certainly seems to have exploded in use, was 'ground game.'Ground game is a political term that refers to the door-to-door, one-on-one tactics used in the presidential campaigns.The victory of the Obama campaign, in particular, has been widely credited to its voter registration drives, its organized effor ...

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Ground Game (minicast) - 1 Dec. 2008

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 expression that was not new, but which certainly seems to have exploded in use, was 'ground game.'Ground game is a political term that refers to the door-to-door, one-on-one tactics used in the presidential campaigns. The victory of the Obama campaign, in particular, has been widely credited to its voter registration drives, its organized ef ...

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Ground Game (minicast) - 1 Dec. 2008

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 expression that was not new, but which certainly seems to have exploded in use, was 'ground game.'Ground game is a political term that refers to the door-to-door, one-on-one tactics used in the presidential campaigns. The victory of the Obama campaign, in particular, has been widely credited to its voter registration drives, its organized ef ...

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Moonbats and Wingnuts - 1 Dec. 2008

[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 pol caught with his pants down. We're talking about spending the night with, well, a voting machine. In this week's episode, we examine this and other examples of political language.You call the repairman to fix a balky garage door, but when he gets there, it inexplicably works. You summon a plumber, only to find that when he arrives, your toile ...

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Moonbats and Wingnuts - 1 Dec. 2008

[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 pol caught with his pants down. We're talking about spending the night with, well, a voting machine. In this week's episode, we examine this and other examples of political language.You call the repairman to fix a balky garage door, but when he gets there, it inexplicably works. You summon a plumber, only to find that when he arrives, your toile ...

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Moonbats and Wingnuts - 1 Dec. 2008

[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 pol caught with his pants down. We're talking about spending the night with, well, a voting machine. In this week's episode, we examine this and other examples of political language.You call the repairman to fix a balky garage door, but when he gets there, it inexplicably works. You summon a plumber, only to find that when he arrives, your toile ...

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Dust Bunnies and Ghost Turds - 23 Nov. 2008

Feeling fankled? It's a Scots English word that means"messed up" or"confused." In this week's episode, Grant and Martha also discuss a whole litter of synonyms for"dust bunny," a slew of different terms for the piece of playground equipment you slide on, and the proper way to refer to a baby platypus.When you were growing up, what did you call that piece of playground equipment that you climb up and then slide down? A former New Jersey resident recalls that whe ...

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Nuke the Fridge - 23 Nov. 2008

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 annual"Word of the Year" vote in January. It's the granddaddy of all word of the year votes--the longest running, the most academic, and the most fun.And as we approach January 9th in San Francisco, we'll be talking here, in these minicasts, about some of the likeliest candidates.One very odd one that caught our eye w ...

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Dust Bunnies and Ghost Turds - 23 Nov. 2008

Feeling fankled? It's a Scots English word that means "messed up" or "confused." In this week's episode, Grant and Martha also discuss a whole litter of synonyms for "dust bunny," a slew of different terms for the piece of playground equipment you slide on, and the proper way to refer to a baby platypus.When you were growing up, what did you call that piece of playground equipment that you climb up and then slide down? A former New Jersey resident recalls that ...

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Nuke the Fridge - 23 Nov. 2008

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 annual "Word of the Year" vote in January. It's the granddaddy of all word of the year votes--the longest running, the most academic, and the most fun.And as we approach January 9th in San Francisco, we'll be talking here, in these minicasts, about some of the likeliest candidates.One very odd one that caught our ey ...

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Dust Bunnies and Ghost Turds - 23 Nov. 2008

Feeling fankled? It's a Scots English word that means "messed up" or "confused." In this week's episode, Grant and Martha also discuss a whole litter of synonyms for "dust bunny," a slew of different terms for the piece of playground equipment you slide on, and the proper way to refer to a baby platypus.When you were growing up, what did you call that piece of playground equipment that you climb up and then slide down? A former New Jersey resident recalls that ...

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Nuke the Fridge - 23 Nov. 2008

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 annual "Word of the Year" vote in January. It's the granddaddy of all word of the year votes--the longest running, the most academic, and the most fun.And as we approach January 9th in San Francisco, we'll be talking here, in these minicasts, about some of the likeliest candidates.One very odd one that caught our ey ...

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A Year of Words - 17 Nov. 2008

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 year! We heard the words 'bailout' and 'lipstick' more times than we'd ever dreamed, and saw also the rise of invented words like 'staycation' and 'recessionista.' What are your nominations for 2008's Word of the Year?'Do English-speaking foreigners understand you better if you speak English with a foreign accent?' A Californian says that on a ...

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A Year of Words - 17 Nov. 2008

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 year! We heard the words 'bailout' and 'lipstick' more times than we'd ever dreamed, and saw also the rise of invented words like 'staycation' and 'recessionista.' What are your nominations for 2008's Word of the Year?'Do English-speaking foreigners understand you better if you speak English with a foreign accent?' A Californian says that on a ...

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A Year of Words - 17 Nov. 2008

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 year! We heard the words 'bailout' and 'lipstick' more times than we'd ever dreamed, and saw also the rise of invented words like 'staycation' and 'recessionista.' What are your nominations for 2008's Word of the Year?'Do English-speaking foreigners understand you better if you speak English with a foreign accent?' A Californian says that on a ...

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Of Gossamer and Geese (minicast) - 10 Nov. 2008

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 glint of spider threads floating lazily in the air. Particularly at this time of year, some tiny spiders use an odd way to travel: They shoot out threads of their own silk, and then hitch a ride on the breeze. Entomologists call this technique 'ballooning.' Walt Whitman described it in a poem, writing of a 'noiseless patient spider' launching f ...

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Of Gossamer and Geese (minicast) - 10 Nov. 2008

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 glint of spider threads floating lazily in the air. Particularly at this time of year, some tiny spiders use an odd way to travel: They shoot out threads of their own silk, and then hitch a ride on the breeze. Entomologists call this technique 'ballooning.' Walt Whitman described it in a poem, writing of a 'noiseless patient spider' launching f ...

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Of Gossamer and Geese (minicast) - 10 Nov. 2008

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 glint of spider threads floating lazily in the air. Particularly at this time of year, some tiny spiders use an odd way to travel: They shoot out threads of their own silk, and then hitch a ride on the breeze. Entomologists call this technique 'ballooning.' Walt Whitman described it in a poem, writing of a 'noiseless patient spider' launching f ...

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Pwned Prose, Stat! - 10 Nov. 2008

[This episode first aired September 13, 2008.]When you get to the end of a wonderful book, your first impulse is totell someone else about it. In this week's episode, Martha and Grantdiscuss what they've been reading and the delights of great prose.AnIllinois man recalls that as a kid, he used to mix fountain drinks ofevery flavor into a concoction he and his friends called a 'suicide.'He wonders if anyone else calls them that. Why a 'suicide'? Because itlooks and tastes like poison?It star ...

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Pwned Prose, Stat! - 10 Nov. 2008

[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 this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss what they've been reading and the delights of great prose.An Illinois man recalls that as a kid, he used to mix fountain drinks of every flavor into a concoction he and his friends called a 'suicide.' He wonders if anyone else calls them that. Why a 'suicide'? Because it looks and tastes like poison?I ...

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Pwned Prose, Stat! - 10 Nov. 2008

[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 this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss what they've been reading and the delights of great prose.An Illinois man recalls that as a kid, he used to mix fountain drinks of every flavor into a concoction he and his friends called a 'suicide.' He wonders if anyone else calls them that. Why a 'suicide'? Because it looks and tastes like poison?I ...

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Language Headlines (minicast) - 3 Nov. 2008

Last year British slang lexicographer Jonathon Green struck a deal with the publisher Chambers Harrap to create an exhaustive dictionary of English slang. Now, says the London Telegraph, the first fruit of that relationship has appeared in the form of the Chambers Slang Dictionary.The main sources of slang, Green says, have remained the same: sex and sexual organs, drinking, and terms of abuse. But ,there are always innovations.The Telegraph offers some of them: boilerhouse, modern British ...

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Language Headlines (minicast) - 3 Nov. 2008

Last year British slang lexicographer Jonathon Green struck a deal with the publisher Chambers Harrap to create an exhaustive dictionary of English slang. Now, says the London Telegraph, the first fruit of that relationship has appeared in the form of the Chambers Slang Dictionary.The main sources of slang, Green says, have remained the same: sex and sexual organs, drinking, and terms of abuse. But ,there are always innovations. The Telegraph offers some of them: boilerhouse, modern British ...

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Language Headlines (minicast) - 3 Nov. 2008

Last year British slang lexicographer Jonathon Green struck a deal with the publisher Chambers Harrap to create an exhaustive dictionary of English slang. Now, says the London Telegraph, the first fruit of that relationship has appeared in the form of the Chambers Slang Dictionary.The main sources of slang, Green says, have remained the same: sex and sexual organs, drinking, and terms of abuse. But ,there are always innovations. The Telegraph offers some of them: boilerhouse, modern British ...

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Hair of the Politics that Bit You - 3 Nov. 2008

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. And what do you call it when random objects form a recognizable image, like a cloud resembling a bunny, or the image of Elvis in a grilled cheese sandwich?With all this talk about this year's election ballot, did you ever stop to think about where the word 'ballot' comes from? Martha and Grant discuss terms related to politics, including 'ballot ...

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Hair of the Politics that Bit You - 3 Nov. 2008

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. And what do you call it when random objects form a recognizable image, like a cloud resembling a bunny, or the image of Elvis in a grilled cheese sandwich? With all this talk about this year's election ballot, did you ever stop to think about where the word 'ballot' comes from? Martha and Grant discuss terms related to politics, including 'ballo ...

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Hair of the Politics that Bit You - 3 Nov. 2008

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. And what do you call it when random objects form a recognizable image, like a cloud resembling a bunny, or the image of Elvis in a grilled cheese sandwich? With all this talk about this year's election ballot, did you ever stop to think about where the word 'ballot' comes from? Martha and Grant discuss terms related to politics, including 'ballo ...

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Riddled Through With Riddles - 27 Oct. 2008

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 this week's episode, in which Grant and Martha discuss this and other old-fashioned riddles. Also: how did the phrase 'going commando' come to be slang for 'going without underwear'? And which word is correct: 'orient' or 'orientate'?To go commando means to 'go without underwear.' But why 'commando'? An Indiana listener says the term came up i ...

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Riddled Through With Riddles - 27 Oct. 2008

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 this week's episode, in which Grant and Martha discuss this and other old-fashioned riddles. Also: how did the phrase 'going commando' come to be slang for 'going without underwear'? And which word is correct: 'orient' or 'orientate'?To go commando means to 'go without underwear.' But why 'commando'? An Indiana listener says the term came up i ...

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Riddled Through With Riddles - 27 Oct. 2008

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 this week's episode, in which Grant and Martha discuss this and other old-fashioned riddles. Also: how did the phrase 'going commando' come to be slang for 'going without underwear'? And which word is correct: 'orient' or 'orientate'?To go commando means to 'go without underwear.' But why 'commando'? An Indiana listener says the term came up i ...

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Darwinism and the Dictionary (minicast) - 20 Oct. 2008

The British publishers of the Collins dictionary have announced 24 words on their endangered species list. They're words like 'vilipend,' which means 'to treat with contempt,' and 'nitid,' that's n-i-t-i-d, which means 'glistening. 'The editors warn that if they don't see evidence of these words being used in everyday speech and writing, they'll drop them from the dictionary's next edition. They've even set deadline for the doomed words: February 2009. But they've also offered the public a ...

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Darwinism and the Dictionary (minicast) - 20 Oct. 2008

The British publishers of the Collins dictionary have announced 24 words on their endangered species list. They're words like 'vilipend,' which means 'to treat with contempt,' and 'nitid,' that's n-i-t-i-d, which means 'glistening. ' The editors warn that if they don't see evidence of these words being used in everyday speech and writing, they'll drop them from the dictionary's next edition. They've even set deadline for the doomed words: February 2009. But they've also offered the public a ...

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Darwinism and the Dictionary (minicast) - 20 Oct. 2008

The British publishers of the Collins dictionary have announced 24 words on their endangered species list. They're words like 'vilipend,' which means 'to treat with contempt,' and 'nitid,' that's n-i-t-i-d, which means 'glistening. ' The editors warn that if they don't see evidence of these words being used in everyday speech and writing, they'll drop them from the dictionary's next edition. They've even set deadline for the doomed words: February 2009. But they've also offered the public a ...

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A Moniker for Your Monitor - 20 Oct. 2008

This week on A Way with Words: 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 lives. Also, why do we speak of 'vetting' a political candidate? And what in the world is a 'zoo plane'?Fess up, now: Do you have a pet name for your car? Or maybe you spend so much quality time with your computer that you've given it a particularly affectionate moniker? What is it about inanimate objects--parti ...

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A Moniker for Your Monitor - 20 Oct. 2008

This week on A Way with Words: 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 lives. Also, why do we speak of 'vetting' a political candidate? And what in the world is a 'zoo plane'?Fess up, now: Do you have a pet name for your car? Or maybe you spend so much quality time with your computer that you've given it a particularly affectionate moniker? What is it about inanimate objects--parti ...

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Reading the OED from A to Z - 13 Oct. 2008

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 entire Oxford English Dictionary. The result, in addition to eyestrain, headaches, and skeptics' puzzlement, was Shea's new book, Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 pages. Martha talks about what he learned along the way.http://ammonshea.com/oed.htmlYears ago, I covered a story for a sports magazine about Tori Murden, a woman trying row a ...

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Reading the OED from A to Z - 13 Oct. 2008

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 entire Oxford English Dictionary. The result, in addition to eyestrain, headaches, and skeptics' puzzlement, was Shea's new book, Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 pages. Martha talks about what he learned along the way.http://ammonshea.com/oed.html Years ago, I covered a story for a sports magazine about Tori Murden, a woman trying row a ...

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Reading the OED from A to Z - 13 Oct. 2008

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 entire Oxford English Dictionary. The result, in addition to eyestrain, headaches, and skeptics' puzzlement, was Shea's new book, Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 pages. Martha talks about what he learned along the way.http://ammonshea.com/oed.html Years ago, I covered a story for a sports magazine about Tori Murden, a woman trying row a ...

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English Down Under - 13 Oct. 2008

This week, Martha and Grant discuss terms from Australia, including aerial ping-pong, pumpkin squatter, andâkangarooster? They explain the connection between stereotypes and stereos, and why we call the person clearing tables in a restaurant a busboy. Also, what's the plural of moose? Meese? Mooses?Great news for language fans: The Australian National Dictionary is now available online for free. It's full of fascinating words from Down Under. Contrary to what you might think, for example, ...

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English Down Under - 13 Oct. 2008

This week, Martha and Grant discuss terms from Australia, including aerial ping-pong, pumpkin squatter, andâkangarooster? They explain the connection between stereotypes and stereos, and why we call the person clearing tables in a restaurant a busboy. Also, what's the plural of moose? Meese? Mooses?Great news for language fans: The Australian National Dictionary is now available online for free. It's full of fascinating words from Down Under. Contrary to what you might think, for example, k ...

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Language Headlines (minicast) - 6 Oct. 2008

The world of politics tops this week's language headlines, including an explanation of the Bradley effect, and the ongoing debate over bilingual education. Also, what does the word fubsy mean? Grant has the answer, and reports about a new favorite blog described as 'LOLcats for smart people.'Ever since it started looking like Barack Obama was more than a long shot for his party's nomination, pollsters, and pundits have been talking about the 'Bradley effect.'It's when polls show a black pol ...

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Language Headlines (minicast) - 6 Oct. 2008

The world of politics tops this week's language headlines, including an explanation of the Bradley effect, and the ongoing debate over bilingual education. Also, what does the word fubsy mean? Grant has the answer, and reports about a new favorite blog described as 'LOLcats for smart people.'Ever since it started looking like Barack Obama was more than a long shot for his party's nomination, pollsters, and pundits have been talking about the 'Bradley effect.' It's when polls show a black po ...

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Language Headlines (minicast) - 6 Oct. 2008

The world of politics tops this week's language headlines, including an explanation of the Bradley effect, and the ongoing debate over bilingual education. Also, what does the word fubsy mean? Grant has the answer, and reports about a new favorite blog described as 'LOLcats for smart people.'Ever since it started looking like Barack Obama was more than a long shot for his party's nomination, pollsters, and pundits have been talking about the 'Bradley effect.' It's when polls show a black po ...

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Never Bolt Your Door with A Boiled Carrot - 6 Oct. 2008

Proverbs pack great truths into a few well-chosen words, no matter which language you speak. Check out this one from Belize: 'Don't call the alligator a big-mouth till you have crossed the river.' And this truism from Zanzibar: 'When two elephants tussle, it's the grass that suffers.' Martha and Grant discuss a new paremiography--a collection of proverbs--from around the world.A woman from Cape Cod is looking for a polite word that means the current wife of my ex-husband. She's thinking abo ...

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Never Bolt Your Door with A Boiled Carrot - 6 Oct. 2008

Proverbs pack great truths into a few well-chosen words, no matter which language you speak. Check out this one from Belize: 'Don't call the alligator a big-mouth till you have crossed the river.' And this truism from Zanzibar: 'When two elephants tussle, it's the grass that suffers.' Martha and Grant discuss a new paremiography--a collection of proverbs--from around the world. A woman from Cape Cod is looking for a polite word that means the current wife of my ex-husband. She's thinking ab ...

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Regional Food Names: When Is a Milkshake Not a Milkshake? Minicast - 29 Sept. 2008

Regional Food Names: When Is a Milkshake Not a Milkshake?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, pretzel salad, and coolers, plus the frappe vs. milkshake controversy.Welcome to another minicast of A Way with Words. I'm Martha Barnette.A while back, we talked about how the name of a particular food that you grew up with might be utterly mystifying to someone from another part of the cou ...

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Regional Food Names: When Is a Milkshake Not a Milkshake? Minicast - 29 Sept. 2008

Regional Food Names: When Is a Milkshake Not a Milkshake?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, pretzel salad, and coolers, plus the frappe vs. milkshake controversy.Welcome to another minicast of A Way with Words. I'm Martha Barnette.A while back, we talked about how the name of a particular food that you grew up with might be utterly mystifying to someone from another part of the cou ...

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Regional Food Names: When Is a Milkshake Not a Milkshake? Minicast - 29 Sept. 2008

Regional Food Names: When Is a Milkshake Not a Milkshake?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, pretzel salad, and coolers, plus the frappe vs. milkshake controversy.Welcome to another minicast of A Way with Words. I'm Martha Barnette.A while back, we talked about how the name of a particular food that you grew up with might be utterly mystifying to someone from another part of the cou ...

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Antipodes and Grooks Minicast - 22 Sept. 2008

A listener in Brazil challenges Martha's pronunciation of the odd English word antipodes. Their email exchange leads Martha to muse about a favorite collection of poems, where she first encountered this word....Recently on our show, I made a linguistic boo-boo. Did you catch it?We were talking about the word 'podium.' A listener named Joel called to say that the word 'podium' originally denoted something you stand on. But more and more, people are using it to mean something you 'stand behin ...

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Moonbats and Wingnuts - 22 Sept. 2008

Here's a bit of political slang now making the rounds: sleepover. No, we're not talking about another pol caught with his pants down. We're talking about spending the night with, well, a voting machine. In this week's episode, we examine this and other examples of political language.You call the repairman to fix a balky garage door, but when he gets there, it inexplicably works. You summon a plumber, only to find that when he arrives, your toilet's no longer leaking--and you're out $150. Or ...

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Moonbats and Wingnuts - 22 Sept. 2008

Here's a bit of political slang now making the rounds: sleepover. No, we're not talking about another pol caught with his pants down. We're talking about spending the night with, well, a voting machine. In this week's episode, we examine this and other examples of political language.You call the repairman to fix a balky garage door, but when he gets there, it inexplicably works. You summon a plumber, only to find that when he arrives, your toilet's no longer leaking--and you're out $150. Or ...

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Moonbats and Wingnuts - 22 Sept. 2008

Here's a bit of political slang now making the rounds: sleepover. No, we're not talking about another pol caught with his pants down. We're talking about spending the night with, well, a voting machine. In this week's episode, we examine this and other examples of political language.You call the repairman to fix a balky garage door, but when he gets there, it inexplicably works. You summon a plumber, only to find that when he arrives, your toilet's no longer leaking--and you're out $150. Or ...

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Maverick and Gobbledygook Minicast - 15 Sept. 2008

Mmmmmaverick. Maverick, Maverick, Maverick. Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick. Maverick.Is it just my imagination, or are we hearing this word a whole LOT more lately?You usually hear it applied a politician who's staunchly independent and stubbornly non-conformist. But where'd we get an odd word like this? The answer involves a Texas political dynasty that added not one, but two, familiar words to English.Samuel Augustus Maverick was 19th-century Texas lawyer who went into politics. H ...

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Maverick and Gobbledygook Minicast - 15 Sept. 2008

Mmmmmaverick. Maverick, Maverick, Maverick. Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick. Maverick.Is it just my imagination, or are we hearing this word a whole LOT more lately?You usually hear it applied a politician who's staunchly independent and stubbornly non-conformist. But where'd we get an odd word like this? The answer involves a Texas political dynasty that added not one, but two, familiar words to English.Samuel Augustus Maverick was 19th-century Texas lawyer who went into politics. H ...

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Maverick and Gobbledygook Minicast - 15 Sept. 2008

Mmmmmaverick. Maverick, Maverick, Maverick. Maverick, Maverick, Maverick, Maverick. Maverick.Is it just my imagination, or are we hearing this word a whole LOT more lately?You usually hear it applied a politician who's staunchly independent and stubbornly non-conformist. But where'd we get an odd word like this? The answer involves a Texas political dynasty that added not one, but two, familiar words to English.Samuel Augustus Maverick was 19th-century Texas lawyer who went into politics. H ...

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Pwned Prose, Stat! - 15 Sept. 2008

When you get to the end of a wonderful book, your first impulse is to tell someone else about it. In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss what they've been reading and the delights of great prose.An Illinois man recalls that as a kid, he used to mix fountain drinks of every flavor into a concoction he and his friends called a 'suicide.' He wonders if anyone else calls them that. Why a 'suicide'? Because it looks and tastes like poison?It started as a typo for 'own,' now it's entren ...

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Pwned Prose, Stat! - 15 Sept. 2008

When you get to the end of a wonderful book, your first impulse is to tell someone else about it. In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss what they've been reading and the delights of great prose.An Illinois man recalls that as a kid, he used to mix fountain drinks of every flavor into a concoction he and his friends called a 'suicide.' He wonders if anyone else calls them that. Why a 'suicide'? Because it looks and tastes like poison?It started as a typo for 'own,' now it's entren ...

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Lackabookaphobia? Minicast - 8 Sept. 2008

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, what strikes fear into our hearts is the thought of being caught without a book. Jeanie in Wisconsin has that kind of passion for audiobooks and calls to ask Martha and Grant to give her a name for her condition.If you have an idea for what this fear should be called, tell us about it!--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or writ ...

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Lackabookaphobia? Minicast - 8 Sept. 2008

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, what strikes fear into our hearts is the thought of being caught without a book. Jeanie in Wisconsin has that kind of passion for audiobooks and calls to ask Martha and Grant to give her a name for her condition.If you have an idea for what this fear should be called, tell us about it!--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or writ ...

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Lackabookaphobia? Minicast - 8 Sept. 2008

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, what strikes fear into our hearts is the thought of being caught without a book. Jeanie in Wisconsin has that kind of passion for audiobooks and calls to ask Martha and Grant to give her a name for her condition.If you have an idea for what this fear should be called, tell us about it!--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or writ ...

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The Secret Language of Families - 8 Sept. 2008

[This episode first aired January 19th, 2008.]Does your family use a special word you've never heard anywhere else? Afunny name for 'the heel of a loaf of bread,' perhaps, or for 'visitingrelatives who won't leave.' In this week's episode, Martha and Grantdiscuss 'family words,' and Martha reveals the story behind her ownfamily's secret word, 'fubby.'Why do we say that someone who'spregnant is 'knocked up'? The hit movie starring Katherine Heigl andSeth Rogen has a caller wondering about th ...

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The Secret Language of Families - 8 Sept. 2008

[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 loaf of bread,' perhaps, or for 'visiting relatives who won't leave.' In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss 'family words,' and Martha reveals the story behind her own family's secret word, 'fubby.'Why do we say that someone who's pregnant is 'knocked up'? The hit movie starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen has a caller wondering ab ...

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The Secret Language of Families - 8 Sept. 2008

[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 loaf of bread,' perhaps, or for 'visiting relatives who won't leave.' In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss 'family words,' and Martha reveals the story behind her own family's secret word, 'fubby.'Why do we say that someone who's pregnant is 'knocked up'? The hit movie starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen has a caller wondering ab ...

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Pair o' Docs Paradox Minicast - 1 Sept. 2008

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, multinational herbal food company. In company literature, the two doctors are referred to in several ways. The caller wants to know which is the best choice. Which of the following would you pick, and why?1. The owners, Doctors Chens, are experts in the field.2.  The owners, Doctor Chens, are experts in the field.3.  The owners, Doctors Chen, ...

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Pair o' Docs Paradox Minicast - 1 Sept. 2008

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, multinational herbal food company. In company literature, the two doctors are referred to in several ways. The caller wants to know which is the best choice. Which of the following would you pick, and why?1. The owners, Doctors Chens, are experts in the field.2.  The owners, Doctor Chens, are experts in the field.3.  The owners, Doctors Chen, ...

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Pair o' Docs Paradox Minicast - 1 Sept. 2008

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, multinational herbal food company. In company literature, the two doctors are referred to in several ways. The caller wants to know which is the best choice. Which of the following would you pick, and why?1. The owners, Doctors Chens, are experts in the field.2.  The owners, Doctor Chens, are experts in the field.3.  The owners, Doctors Chen, ...

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See A Man About A Horse -1 Sept. 2008

[This episode first aired January 12th and 13th, 2008.]In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believedarticles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion,including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tensefrom Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?Acaller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tideme over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets should ...

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See A Man About A Horse -1 Sept. 2008

[This episode first aired January 12th and 13th, 2008.]In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?A caller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tide me over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets sh ...

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See A Man About A Horse -1 Sept. 2008

[This episode first aired January 12th and 13th, 2008.]In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?A caller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tide me over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets sh ...

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Language Headlines Minicast- 25 August 2008

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' pronounced 'bay-JING' or 'bay-ZHING'? Also, a recent court decision concerning an offense that's coming to be known as 'Talking While Spanish.' And what's the origin of the phrase 'the skinny'?--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web si ...

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Language Headlines Minicast- 25 August 2008

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' pronounced 'bay-JING' or 'bay-ZHING'? Also, a recent court decision concerning an offense that's coming to be known as 'Talking While Spanish.' And what's the origin of the phrase 'the skinny'?--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web si ...

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Language Headlines Minicast- 25 August 2008

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' pronounced 'bay-JING' or 'bay-ZHING'? Also, a recent court decision concerning an offense that's coming to be known as 'Talking While Spanish.' And what's the origin of the phrase 'the skinny'?--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web si ...

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Insegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 25 Aug. 2008

[This episode first aired December 8th and 9th, 2007.]This weekMartha and Grant honor winners of the Ig Nobel Prizes, those wackyawards for weird academic research and they help a caller decipher apuzzling word from a personals ad: what does 'paratereseomaniac' mean?Aelectronic teenager repellent? An alarm clock that runs away from youto make you'll wake up? Yep, it's the Ig Nobel Prizes, those awards foracademic research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think.Martha and Grant ...

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Insegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 25 Aug. 2008

[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 academic research and they help a caller decipher a puzzling word from a personals ad: what does 'paratereseomaniac' mean?A electronic teenager repellent? An alarm clock that runs away from you to make you'll wake up? Yep, it's the Ig Nobel Prizes, those awards for academic research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think. Martha and ...

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Insegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 25 Aug. 2008

[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 academic research and they help a caller decipher a puzzling word from a personals ad: what does 'paratereseomaniac' mean?A electronic teenager repellent? An alarm clock that runs away from you to make you'll wake up? Yep, it's the Ig Nobel Prizes, those awards for academic research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think. Martha and ...

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When is a Bell Pepper a Mango? Minicast - 17 Aug. 2008

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 names for this vegetable. She wants to know why, so we help her sort it out.--Get your language question answered on the air! Callor write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673,words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums athttp://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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When is a Bell Pepper a Mango? Minicast - 17 Aug. 2008

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 names for this vegetable. She wants to know why, so we help her sort it out.--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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When is a Bell Pepper a Mango? Minicast - 17 Aug. 2008

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 names for this vegetable. She wants to know why, so we help her sort it out.--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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Word Jocks, Lettered in Language - 17 Aug. 2008

[This episode originally aired Dec. 1, 2007.]Pass the Gatorade! Martha and Grant work up a sweat this week as theytackle a sports quiz and lob vocabulary questions back and forth. Theyalso settle a family dispute about the pronunciation of 'eco-friendly'and unlock the etymology of 'skeleton key.'Doyou know what a 'rampike' is? Or a 'colobus'? Martha and Grant testeach other's knowledge of ten-dollars words with the online quiz atFreeRice.com.A reader of Anthony Bourdain's 'Kitchen Confident ...

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Word Jocks, Lettered in Language - 17 Aug. 2008

[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 vocabulary questions back and forth. They also settle a family dispute about the pronunciation of 'eco-friendly' and unlock the etymology of 'skeleton key.'Do you know what a 'rampike' is? Or a 'colobus'? Martha and Grant test each other's knowledge of ten-dollars words with the online quiz at FreeRice.com.A reader of Anthony Bourdain's 'Kitchen Con ...

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Word Jocks, Lettered in Language - 17 Aug. 2008

[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 vocabulary questions back and forth. They also settle a family dispute about the pronunciation of 'eco-friendly' and unlock the etymology of 'skeleton key.'Do you know what a 'rampike' is? Or a 'colobus'? Martha and Grant test each other's knowledge of ten-dollars words with the online quiz at FreeRice.com.A reader of Anthony Bourdain's 'Kitchen Con ...

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Language Headlines - 11 August 2008

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 Tatyana Tetyorkina was stripped of her Russian citizenship because a government clerk's typewriter was missing a single letter. Instead, a  different vowel was used, making her Teterkina rather than Tetyorkina--and making who she said she was and who her papers said she was disagree. Public outcry over the matter has since caused her citiz ...

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Language Headlines - 11 August 2008

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 Tatyana Tetyorkina was stripped of her Russian citizenship because a government clerk's typewriter was missing a single letter. Instead, a  different vowel was used, making her Teterkina rather than Tetyorkina--and making who she said she was and who her papers said she was disagree. Public outcry over the matter has since caused her citiz ...

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Language Headlines - 11 August 2008

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 Tatyana Tetyorkina was stripped of her Russian citizenship because a government clerk's typewriter was missing a single letter. Instead, a  different vowel was used, making her Teterkina rather than Tetyorkina--and making who she said she was and who her papers said she was disagree. Public outcry over the matter has since caused her citiz ...

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Give It the Old College Slang - 11 August 2008

[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 century ago--it's outdated collegeslang! Also, we are 'voluntold' to play a word puzzle about UnknownSuperheroes! What do we call it when new inventions or ideaschange the name of something old? It used to be that the word 'guitar'was sufficient, but now we regularly distinguish between an 'acousticguitar' and an 'electric guitar.' Same for ...

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Give It the Old College Slang - 11 August 2008

[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 century ago--it's outdated college slang! Also, we are 'voluntold' to play a word puzzle about Unknown Superheroes! What do we call it when new inventions or ideas change the name of something old? It used to be that the word 'guitar' was sufficient, but now we regularly distinguish between an 'acoustic guitar' and an 'electric guitar.' Sam ...

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Give It the Old College Slang - 11 August 2008

[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 century ago--it's outdated college slang! Also, we are 'voluntold' to play a word puzzle about Unknown Superheroes! What do we call it when new inventions or ideas change the name of something old? It used to be that the word 'guitar' was sufficient, but now we regularly distinguish between an 'acoustic guitar' and an 'electric guitar.' Sam ...

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Name That Accent Minicast - 3 August 2008

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 to guess the accent. Martha and Grant confess they play"Name That Accent" all the time in the privacy of their own heads. Recently though, a listener phoned to challenge them to guess where she'd grown up based on her accent. See if you can figure it out!--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: ...

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Name That Accent Minicast - 3 August 2008

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 to guess the accent. Martha and Grant confess they play "Name That Accent" all the time in the privacy of their own heads. Recently though, a listener phoned to challenge them to guess where she'd grown up based on her accent. See if you can figure it out!--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: ...

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Name That Accent Minicast - 3 August 2008

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 to guess the accent. Martha and Grant confess they play "Name That Accent" all the time in the privacy of their own heads. Recently though, a listener phoned to challenge them to guess where she'd grown up based on her accent. See if you can figure it out!--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: ...

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Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 04 August 2008

We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle wordson purpose? Do you ever say 'fambly' instead of family, 'perazackly'for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrotea newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the responsewas enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard toresist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples.APennsylvania minister is curious about a phrase her family uses: 'byway of Rob ...

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Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 04 August 2008

We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle words on purpose? Do you ever say 'fambly' instead of family, 'perazackly' for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrote a newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the response was enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard to resist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples.A Pennsylvania minister is curious about a phrase her family uses: 'by way ...

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Index v. Indice Minicast - 28 July 2008

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 wonders...indice? And should he talk about it with his client?...Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org/. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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Index v. Indice Minicast - 28 July 2008

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 wonders...indice? And should he talk about it with his client? ...Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org/. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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Index v. Indice Minicast - 28 July 2008

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 wonders...indice? And should he talk about it with his client? ...Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org/. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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Put a Snap on the Grouch Bag - 28 July 2008

This episode first aired May 5, 2008....Have you ever eaten a 'Benedictine sandwich'? Or savored a juicy 'porksteak'? What's a favorite dish you grew up with that may be mystifyingto someone from another part of the country? Also, what does it mean totell someone to 'put a snap on the grouch bag'?A rugby referee from Indiana calls to ask if his sport is the origin of the word 'touchdown' as it is used in American football.Howdo you pronounce the word 'patronize'? Is one pronunciation used i ...

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Put a Snap on the Grouch Bag - 28 July 2008

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 grew up with that may be mystifying to someone from another part of the country? Also, what does it mean to tell someone to 'put a snap on the grouch bag'?A rugby referee from Indiana calls to ask if his sport is the origin of the word 'touchdown' as it is used in American football.How do you pronounce the word 'patronize'? Is one pronunciation us ...

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Put a Snap on the Grouch Bag - 28 July 2008

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 grew up with that may be mystifying to someone from another part of the country? Also, what does it mean to tell someone to 'put a snap on the grouch bag'?A rugby referee from Indiana calls to ask if his sport is the origin of the word 'touchdown' as it is used in American football.How do you pronounce the word 'patronize'? Is one pronunciation us ...

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Small Talk, the Word Game Minicast - 21 July 2008

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 is to make your partner guess words from a list. The only catch? All of the clues have to be one syllable only. It's tougher than you think!---Get your language question answered on the air! Call orwrite 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673,words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums athttp://waywordradio.org. ...

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Small Talk, the Word Game Minicast - 21 July 2008

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 is to make your partner guess words from a list. The only catch? All of the clues have to be one syllable only. It's tougher than you think! ---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.o ...

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Small Talk, the Word Game Minicast - 21 July 2008

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 is to make your partner guess words from a list. The only catch? All of the clues have to be one syllable only. It's tougher than you think! ---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.o ...

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Word Encounters of the First Kind - 21 July 2008

[This episode first aired April 12, 2008.]There's a frisson you get when you meet a word for the first time--feeling pleasantly stumped in between wondering, 'What the heck does that mean?' and hurrying off to find out. Martha and Grant talk about some terms that had just that effect on them: 'ucalegon' and 'cacoethes scribendi.'A recent college graduate from Portland, Oregon, calls to ask about a term popular on her campus. She and her classmates use 'sketchy' to mean 'creepy, shady, possi ...

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Word Encounters of the First Kind - 21 July 2008

[This episode first aired April 12, 2008.]There's a frisson you get when you meet a word for the first time--feeling pleasantly stumped in between wondering, 'What the heck does that mean?' and hurrying off to find out. Martha and Grant talk about some terms that had just that effect on them: 'ucalegon' and 'cacoethes scribendi.'A recent college graduate from Portland, Oregon, calls to ask about a term popular on her campus. She and her classmates use 'sketchy' to mean 'creepy, shady, possi ...

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Word Encounters of the First Kind - 21 July 2008

[This episode first aired April 12, 2008.]There's a frisson you get when you meet a word for the first time--feeling pleasantly stumped in between wondering, 'What the heck does that mean?' and hurrying off to find out. Martha and Grant talk about some terms that had just that effect on them: 'ucalegon' and 'cacoethes scribendi.'A recent college graduate from Portland, Oregon, calls to ask about a term popular on her campus. She and her classmates use 'sketchy' to mean 'creepy, shady, possi ...

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Emoticons Minicast - 14 July 2008

A listener has a question about emoticons, those little sideways symbols you type to suggest emotions in informal electronic writing. You know, like using a colon, dash, and a capital P to stick out your tongue like this :-P or using a colon, dash, and small letter d to say 'Yum!' :-dBut if you're going to toss emoticons into your prose, the caller asks, how in the world do you punctuate them?---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(87 ...

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Emoticons Minicast - 14 July 2008

A listener has a question about emoticons, those little sideways symbols you type to suggest emotions in informal electronic writing. You know, like using a colon, dash, and a capital P to stick out your tongue like this :-P or using a colon, dash, and small letter d to say 'Yum!' :-d But if you're going to toss emoticons into your prose, the caller asks, how in the world do you punctuate them?---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(8 ...

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Emoticons Minicast - 14 July 2008

A listener has a question about emoticons, those little sideways symbols you type to suggest emotions in informal electronic writing. You know, like using a colon, dash, and a capital P to stick out your tongue like this :-P or using a colon, dash, and small letter d to say 'Yum!' :-d But if you're going to toss emoticons into your prose, the caller asks, how in the world do you punctuate them?---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(8 ...

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Nicknames Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies and the Vapors - 14 July 2008

[This episode originally aired April 5, 2008.]Everybody has a nickname, and there's usually a story to go with it.Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behindthem. Also, is the expression 'heebie-jeebies' anti-Semitic? And isthere a better word than 'retiree' for someone who moves on from a joblate in life?Speaking of nicknames, the word 'nickname' has aninteresting etymology. It's an example of a word formed by whatlinguists call 'misdivision.' More here. If you have ...

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Nicknames Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies and the Vapors - 14 July 2008

[This episode originally aired April 5, 2008.]Everybody has a nickname, and there's usually a story to go with it. Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behind them. Also, is the expression 'heebie-jeebies' anti-Semitic? And is there a better word than 'retiree' for someone who moves on from a job late in life?Speaking of nicknames, the word 'nickname' has an interesting etymology. It's an example of a word formed by what linguists call 'misdivision.' More here. If you ...

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Nicknames Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies and the Vapors - 14 July 2008

[This episode originally aired April 5, 2008.]Everybody has a nickname, and there's usually a story to go with it. Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behind them. Also, is the expression 'heebie-jeebies' anti-Semitic? And is there a better word than 'retiree' for someone who moves on from a job late in life?Speaking of nicknames, the word 'nickname' has an interesting etymology. It's an example of a word formed by what linguists call 'misdivision.' More here. If you ...

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Dits and Dat Minicast - 7 July 2008

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 chicks' and 'little ducklings.' We share some of our own research about these curious terms.--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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Dits and Dat Minicast - 7 July 2008

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 chicks' and 'little ducklings.' We share some of our own research about these curious terms.--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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Dits and Dat Minicast - 7 July 2008

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 chicks' and 'little ducklings.' We share some of our own research about these curious terms.--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 7 July 2008

[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. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of 'glass pockets'? Or 'horseracism'? Is there an etymological connection between 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'?A caller wants to settle a friendly argument: Is something not worth debating called a 'moot point' or a 'mute point'?A listener calls from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to say that i ...

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Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 7 July 2008

[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. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of 'glass pockets'? Or 'horseracism'? Is there an etymological connection between 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'?A caller wants to settle a friendly argument: Is something not worth debating called a 'moot point' or a 'mute point'?A listener calls from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to say that i ...

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Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 7 July 2008

[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. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of 'glass pockets'? Or 'horseracism'? Is there an etymological connection between 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'?A caller wants to settle a friendly argument: Is something not worth debating called a 'moot point' or a 'mute point'?A listener calls from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to say that i ...

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Do Singers Have Accents? Minicast - 30 June 2008

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 different accent. What is it about singing that seems to change some people's accents? A caller from Indianapolis wants to know.--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright ...

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Do Singers Have Accents? Minicast - 30 June 2008

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 different accent. What is it about singing that seems to change some people's accents? A caller from Indianapolis wants to know.--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright ...

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Do Singers Have Accents? Minicast - 30 June 2008

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 different accent. What is it about singing that seems to change some people's accents? A caller from Indianapolis wants to know.--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright ...

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Paper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 30 June 2008

[This episode first aired March 8, 2008.]You've just read a terrific paperback novel. Would you feel anydifferently about it if you'd the same words on the glowing screen ofan electronic book? Martha and Grant discuss the social andpsychological implications of books that run on batteries.Acaller remembers an odd phrase from her childhood. If she asked toomany questions, her mother would brush them off with the phrase 'layersfor meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.' Say what?A Milwaukeelis ...

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Paper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 30 June 2008

[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 words on the glowing screen of an electronic book? Martha and Grant discuss the social and psychological implications of books that run on batteries.A caller remembers an odd phrase from her childhood. If she asked too many questions, her mother would brush them off with the phrase 'layers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.' Say what?A Milwau ...

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Paper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 30 June 2008

[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 words on the glowing screen of an electronic book? Martha and Grant discuss the social and psychological implications of books that run on batteries.A caller remembers an odd phrase from her childhood. If she asked too many questions, her mother would brush them off with the phrase 'layers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.' Say what?A Milwau ...

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My Brilliant Careen Minicast- 23 June 2008

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 career? The hosts spell out the differences, and throw in the origin of the word carom for good measure.---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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My Brilliant Careen Minicast- 23 June 2008

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 career? The hosts spell out the differences, and throw in the origin of the word carom for good measure. ---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC. ...

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My Brilliant Careen Minicast- 23 June 2008

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 career? The hosts spell out the differences, and throw in the origin of the word carom for good measure. ---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC. ...

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Celebrate National Grammar Day - 23 June 2008

[This episode originally aired March 3, 2008.]Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day.Also,when you're scribbling on a piece of paper, do you find yourselfexpecting spellcheck to kick in and underline your misspellings withsquiggly red lines? A caller wants a term for the act of trying to dooffline what can only be done online.Let's see...there'sNational Cheese Day on January 20 and of course National IguanaAwareness Day on September 8. So ...

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Celebrate National Grammar Day - 23 June 2008

[This episode originally aired March 3, 2008.]Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day. Also, when you're scribbling on a piece of paper, do you find yourself expecting spellcheck to kick in and underline your misspellings with squiggly red lines? A caller wants a term for the act of trying to do offline what can only be done online. Let's see...there's National Cheese Day on January 20 and of course National Iguana Awareness Day on Septemb ...

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Celebrate National Grammar Day - 23 June 2008

[This episode originally aired March 3, 2008.]Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day. Also, when you're scribbling on a piece of paper, do you find yourself expecting spellcheck to kick in and underline your misspellings with squiggly red lines? A caller wants a term for the act of trying to do offline what can only be done online. Let's see...there's National Cheese Day on January 20 and of course National Iguana Awareness Day on Septemb ...

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How to Address an Envelope to a Married Couple Minicast - 16 June 2008

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? For her, it's more than just a theoretical question: she spends a lot of time sending thank-you letters for nonprofit fundraising. So she's wondering, what's the best way to address them so as not to offend potential donors? Her question provokes a lively exchange about grammar, etiquette, and feminism....Get your language question answered on ...

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How to Address an Envelope to a Married Couple Minicast - 16 June 2008

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? For her, it's more than just a theoretical question: she spends a lot of time sending thank-you letters for nonprofit fundraising. So she's wondering, what's the best way to address them so as not to offend potential donors? Her question provokes a lively exchange about grammar, etiquette, and feminism....Get your language question answered on ...

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How to Address an Envelope to a Married Couple Minicast - 16 June 2008

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? For her, it's more than just a theoretical question: she spends a lot of time sending thank-you letters for nonprofit fundraising. So she's wondering, what's the best way to address them so as not to offend potential donors? Her question provokes a lively exchange about grammar, etiquette, and feminism....Get your language question answered on ...

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Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 16 June 2008

[This episode first aired February 23, 2008.]Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles onthe air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR PuzzlemasterWill Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New YorkCity.http://www.crosswordtournament.com/AnAtlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew upusing the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains theconnection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.'Which is t ...

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Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 16 June 2008

[This episode first aired February 23, 2008.]Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York City.http://www.crosswordtournament.com/An Atlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew up using the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains the connection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.'Whic ...

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Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 16 June 2008

[This episode first aired February 23, 2008.]Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York City.http://www.crosswordtournament.com/An Atlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew up using the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains the connection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.'Whic ...

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Careful with That Teakettle Minicast! - 9 June 2008

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. He's sure the phrase is Yiddish, but he's never been able to figure out the literal meaning. Grant solves the mystery for him. Hint: It has to do with teakettles.By the way, you'll find more details about this colorful expression in Michael Wex's book 'Born to Kvetch' here:http://www.the-yiddish-world-of-michael-wex.com/born-to-kvetch-ch-2.htm ...

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Careful with That Teakettle Minicast! - 9 June 2008

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. He's sure the phrase is Yiddish, but he's never been able to figure out the literal meaning. Grant solves the mystery for him. Hint: It has to do with teakettles.By the way, you'll find more details about this colorful expression in Michael Wex's book 'Born to Kvetch' here:http://www.the-yiddish-world-of-michael-wex.com/born-to-kvetch-ch-2.htm ...

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Careful with That Teakettle Minicast! - 9 June 2008

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. He's sure the phrase is Yiddish, but he's never been able to figure out the literal meaning. Grant solves the mystery for him. Hint: It has to do with teakettles.By the way, you'll find more details about this colorful expression in Michael Wex's book 'Born to Kvetch' here:http://www.the-yiddish-world-of-michael-wex.com/born-to-kvetch-ch-2.htm ...

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Expresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 9 June 2008

[This episode originally aired February 16, 2008.]There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world today, and by someestimates, they're dying off at the rate of one every week. What's lostwhen a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question andefforts to record some endangered languages before they die outcompletely.A caller named Holly confesses that there's a wordthat practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it.Grant assures her she's not alone in her aversion to ...

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Expresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 9 June 2008

[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 the rate of one every week. What's lost when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and efforts to record some endangered languages before they die out completely.A caller named Holly confesses that there's a word that practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it. Grant assures her she's not alone in her avers ...

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Expresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 9 June 2008

[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 the rate of one every week. What's lost when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and efforts to record some endangered languages before they die out completely.A caller named Holly confesses that there's a word that practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it. Grant assures her she's not alone in her avers ...

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The Word Candidate Minicast - 2 June 2008

[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 think about where the word 'candidate' comes from? Martha says it goes back to an ancient Roman fashion statement. She also explains the etymology of the term for what drives so many candidates: 'ambition.'--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or vis ...

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The Word Candidate Minicast - 2 June 2008

[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 think about where the word 'candidate' comes from? Martha says it goes back to an ancient Roman fashion statement. She also explains the etymology of the term for what drives so many candidates: 'ambition.'--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or vis ...

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The Word Candidate Minicast - 2 June 2008

[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 think about where the word 'candidate' comes from? Martha says it goes back to an ancient Roman fashion statement. She also explains the etymology of the term for what drives so many candidates: 'ambition.'--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or vis ...

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An Estival Festival of Summer Minicasts - 2 June 2008

This week we announce our 2008 summer minicasts, offered only online. It's what we're calling an 'estival festival.'--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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An Estival Festival of Summer Minicasts - 2 June 2008

This week we announce our 2008 summer minicasts, offered only online. It's what we're calling an 'estival festival.'--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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An Estival Festival of Summer Minicasts - 2 June 2008

This week we announce our 2008 summer minicasts, offered only online. It's what we're calling an 'estival festival.'--Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.

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Squeejawed Red-heads and Grockles - 2 June 2008

[This episode originally aired February 9th and 10th, 2008]In this week's episode: Just how far back could you go and stillunderstand the English people were speaking? We crank up our trustytime machine to find out. Hint: You'd probably have a tough timegetting around in the eighth century, when English poetry looked like:'Hwaet we gardena in geardagum...'Speaking of the more recentpast: When you played hide-and-seek as a child, did you yell 'Ollie,Ollie Oxen Free'? Or 'Ally Ally in Free'? ...

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Squeejawed Red-heads and Grockles - 2 June 2008

[This episode originally aired February 9th and 10th, 2008]In this week's episode: Just how far back could you go and stillunderstand the English people were speaking? We crank up our trustytime machine to find out. Hint: You'd probably have a tough timegetting around in the eighth century, when English poetry looked like:'Hwaet we gardena in geardagum...'Speaking of the more recentpast: When you played hide-and-seek as a child, did you yell 'Ollie,Ollie Oxen Free'? Or 'Ally Ally in Free'? ...

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Squeejawed Red-heads and Grockles - 2 June 2008

[This episode originally aired February 9th and 10th, 2008] In this week's episode: Just how far back could you go and still understand the English people were speaking? We crank up our trusty time machine to find out. Hint: You'd probably have a tough time getting around in the eighth century, when English poetry looked like: 'Hwaet we gardena in geardagum...'Speaking of the more recent past: When you played hide-and-seek as a child, did you yell 'Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free'? Or 'Ally Ally in ...

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Road Trip! - 26 May 2008

[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, so he's invented a term for mindless calling while in the car. And no, it's not 'car-pe diem.' Also, Martha and Grant also discuss the rules of the road games 'padiddle' and 'slug bug.' Maybe you know it as 'perdiddle,' but a Wisconsinite shares memories of playing 'padiddle.' You need at least two people in a car, an oncoming vehicle with a he ...

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Road Trip! - 26 May 2008

[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, so he's invented a term for mindless calling while in the car. And no, it's not 'car-pe diem.' Also, Martha and Grant also discuss the rules of the road games 'padiddle' and 'slug bug.'Maybe you know it as 'perdiddle,' but a Wisconsinite shares memories of playing 'padiddle.' You need at least two people in a car, an oncoming vehicle with a hea ...

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Road Trip! - 26 May 2008

[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, so he's invented a term for mindless calling while in the car. And no, it's not 'car-pe diem.' Also, Martha and Grant also discuss the rules of the road games 'padiddle' and 'slug bug.' Maybe you know it as 'perdiddle,' but a Wisconsinite shares memories of playing 'padiddle.' You need at least two people in a car, an oncoming vehicle with a he ...

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Give It the Old College Slang - 19 May 2008

If someone calls you 'dibby,' should you be flattered or insulted? You'd know if you were in college a century ago--it's outdated college slang! Also, we are 'voluntold' to play a word puzzle about Unknown Superheroes! What do we call it when new inventions or ideas change the name of something old? It used to be that the word 'guitar' was sufficient, but now we regularly distinguish between an 'acoustic guitar' and an 'electric guitar.' Same for television, a word that sufficed until ...

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Give It the Old College Slang - 19 May 2008

If someone calls you 'dibby,' should you be flattered or insulted? You'd know if you were in college a century ago--it's outdated college slang! Also, we are 'voluntold' to play a word puzzle about Unknown Superheroes! What do we call it when new inventions or ideas change the name of something old? It used to be that the word 'guitar' was sufficient, but now we regularly distinguish between an 'acoustic guitar' and an 'electric guitar.' Same for television, a word that sufficed until ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Give It the Old College Slang - 19 May 2008

If someone calls you 'dibby,' should you be flattered or insulted? You'd know if you were in college a century ago--it's outdated college slang! Also, we are 'voluntold' to play a word puzzle about Unknown Superheroes! What do we call it when new inventions or ideas change the name of something old? It used to be that the word 'guitar' was sufficient, but now we regularly distinguish between an 'acoustic guitar' and an 'electric guitar.' Same for television, a word that sufficed until ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 12 May 2008

We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle words on purpose? Do you ever say 'fambly' instead of family, 'perazackly' for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrote a newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the response was enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard to resist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples.A Pennsylvania minister is curious about a phrase her family uses: 'by way ...

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Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 12 May 2008

We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle words on purpose? Do you ever say 'fambly' instead of family, 'perazackly' for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrote a newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the response was enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard to resist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples.A Pennsylvania minister is curious about a phrase her family uses: 'by way ...

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Coinkydinks and Big Boxes - 12 May 2008

We all misspeak from time to time, but how about when we mangle words on purpose? Do you ever say 'fambly' instead of family, 'perazackly' for exactly, or 'coinkydink' for coincidence? When Grant recently wrote a newspaper column about saying things wrong on purpose, the response was enormous. Why is it that many people find such wordplay hard to resist? We consider this question and share their own favorite examples.A Pennsylvania minister is curious about a phrase her family uses: 'by way ...

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Put a Snap on the Grouch Bag - 5 May 2008

Have you ever eaten a 'Benedictine sandwich'? Or savored a juicy 'pork steak'? What's a favorite dish you grew up with that may be mystifying to someone from another part of the country? Also, what does it mean to tell someone to 'put a snap on the grouch bag'?A rugby referee from Indiana calls to ask if his sport is the origin of the word 'touchdown' as it is used in American football.How do you pronounce the word 'patronize'? Is one pronunciation used if you say 'Don't patronize me!' and ...

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Put a Snap on the Grouch Bag - 5 May 2008

Have you ever eaten a 'Benedictine sandwich'? Or savored a juicy 'pork steak'? What's a favorite dish you grew up with that may be mystifying to someone from another part of the country? Also, what does it mean to tell someone to 'put a snap on the grouch bag'?A rugby referee from Indiana calls to ask if his sport is the origin of the word 'touchdown' as it is used in American football.How do you pronounce the word 'patronize'? Is one pronunciation used if you say 'Don't patronize me!' and ...

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Put a Snap on the Grouch Bag - 5 May 2008

Have you ever eaten a 'Benedictine sandwich'? Or savored a juicy 'pork steak'? What's a favorite dish you grew up with that may be mystifying to someone from another part of the country? Also, what does it mean to tell someone to 'put a snap on the grouch bag'?A rugby referee from Indiana calls to ask if his sport is the origin of the word 'touchdown' as it is used in American football.How do you pronounce the word 'patronize'? Is one pronunciation used if you say 'Don't patronize me!' and ...

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See A Man About A Horse - 21 Apr. 2008

[This episode first aired January 12th and 13th, 2008.]In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believedarticles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion,including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tensefrom Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?Acaller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tideme over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets should ...

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See A Man About A Horse - 21 Apr. 2008

[This episode first aired January 12th and 13th, 2008.]In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?A caller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tide me over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets sh ...

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See A Man About A Horse - 21 Apr. 2008

[This episode first aired January 12th and 13th, 2008.]In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?A caller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tide me over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets sh ...

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Word Encounters of the First Kind - 14 Apr. 2008

There's a frisson you get when you meet a word for the first time--feeling pleasantly stumped in between wondering, 'What the heck does that mean?' and hurrying off to find out. Martha and Grant talk about some terms that had just that effect on them: 'ucalegon' and 'cacoethes scribendi.'A recent college graduate from Portland, Oregon, calls to ask about a term popular on her campus. She and her classmates use 'sketchy' to mean 'creepy, shady, possibly dangerous,' as in 'a sketchy part of t ...

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Word Encounters of the First Kind - 14 Apr. 2008

There's a frisson you get when you meet a word for the first time--feeling pleasantly stumped in between wondering, 'What the heck does that mean?' and hurrying off to find out. Martha and Grant talk about some terms that had just that effect on them: 'ucalegon' and 'cacoethes scribendi.'A recent college graduate from Portland, Oregon, calls to ask about a term popular on her campus. She and her classmates use 'sketchy' to mean 'creepy, shady, possibly dangerous,' as in 'a sketchy part of t ...

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Word Encounters of the First Kind - 14 Apr. 2008

There's a frisson you get when you meet a word for the first time--feeling pleasantly stumped in between wondering, 'What the heck does that mean?' and hurrying off to find out. Martha and Grant talk about some terms that had just that effect on them: 'ucalegon' and 'cacoethes scribendi.'A recent college graduate from Portland, Oregon, calls to ask about a term popular on her campus. She and her classmates use 'sketchy' to mean 'creepy, shady, possibly dangerous,' as in 'a sketchy part of t ...

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Nicknames Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies and the Vapors - 7 April 2008

Everybody has a nickname, and there's usually a story to go with it. Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behind them. Also, is the expression 'heebie-jeebies' anti-Semitic? And is there a better word than 'retiree' for someone who moves on from a job late in life?Speaking of nicknames, the word 'nickname' has an interesting etymology. It's an example of a word formed by what linguists call 'misdivision.' More here. If you have a nickname you'd like to share (and hey, ...

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Nicknames Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies and the Vapors - 7 April 2008

Everybody has a nickname, and there's usually a story to go with it. Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behind them. Also, is the expression 'heebie-jeebies' anti-Semitic? And is there a better word than 'retiree' for someone who moves on from a job late in life?Speaking of nicknames, the word 'nickname' has an interesting etymology. It's an example of a word formed by what linguists call 'misdivision.' More here. If you have a nickname you'd like to share (and hey, ...

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Typewriters We Have Loved - 31 Mar. 2008

(This episode first aired January 5, 2008.)Ding! In this week's episode, Mark Twain would be pleased. Reports thatit's the end of the line for the typewriter have been greatlyexaggerated. Well, slightly anyway: it's not the horseless carriagereturn yet. Martha and Grant wax nostalgic about the pleasures ofpecking away at a rumbling, shuddering Selectric.A newspaperheadline about a faltering legislative proposal prompts a caller toask: Should they have written 'floundering' or 'foundering'?A ...

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Typewriters We Have Loved - 31 Mar. 2008

(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 typewriter have been greatly exaggerated. Well, slightly anyway: it's not the horseless carriage return yet. Martha and Grant wax nostalgic about the pleasures of pecking away at a rumbling, shuddering Selectric.A newspaper headline about a faltering legislative proposal prompts a caller to ask: Should they have written 'floundering' or 'founder ...

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Typewriters We Have Loved - 31 Mar. 2008

(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 typewriter have been greatly exaggerated. Well, slightly anyway: it's not the horseless carriage return yet. Martha and Grant wax nostalgic about the pleasures of pecking away at a rumbling, shuddering Selectric.A newspaper headline about a faltering legislative proposal prompts a caller to ask: Should they have written 'floundering' or 'founder ...

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Bite the Wax Tadpole - 24 March 2008

(This episode first aired December 15, 2007.)In this episode, Martha and Grant discuss advertising slogans and product names supposedly botched in translation.'Biting the Wax Tadpole'? It's the wacky title of a new book by language enthusiast Elizabeth Little which has Martha and Grant talking about whether Coca-Cola and Chevrolet ran into cultural translation problems when selling products abroad. Did the Chevy Nova really sell poorly in Latin America because 'No va' means 'don't go' in Sp ...

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Bite the Wax Tadpole - 24 March 2008

(This episode first aired December 15, 2007.)In this episode, Martha and Grant discuss advertising slogans and product names supposedly botched in translation. They also recommend an eclectic mix of books for the word-lover on your holiday list, from military slang to Yiddish.'Biting the Wax Tadpole'? It's the wacky title of a new book by language enthusiast Elizabeth Little which has Martha and Grant talking about whether Coca-Cola and Chevrolet ran into cultural translation problems when ...

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Bite the Wax Tadpole - 24 March 2008

(This episode first aired December 15, 2007.)In this episode, Martha and Grant discuss advertising slogans and product names supposedly botched in translation.'Biting the Wax Tadpole'? It's the wacky title of a new book by language enthusiast Elizabeth Little which has Martha and Grant talking about whether Coca-Cola and Chevrolet ran into cultural translation problems when selling products abroad. Did the Chevy Nova really sell poorly in Latin America because 'No va' means 'don't go' in Sp ...

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Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 17 Mar. 2008

Unless you've been hiding out in a galaxy far, far away, you know that this is an election year. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of 'glass pockets'? Or 'horseracism'? Is there an etymological connection between 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'?A caller wants to settle a friendly argument: Is something not worth debating called a 'moot point' or a 'mute point'?A listener calls from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to say that in her native Spanish, she can use several diffe ...

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Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 17 Mar. 2008

Unless you've been hiding out in a galaxy far, far away, you know that this is an election year. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of 'glass pockets'? Or 'horseracism'? Is there an etymological connection between 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'?A caller wants to settle a friendly argument: Is something not worth debating called a 'moot point' or a 'mute point'?A listener calls from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to say that in her native Spanish, she can use several diffe ...

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Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 17 Mar. 2008

Unless you've been hiding out in a galaxy far, far away, you know that this is an election year. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of 'glass pockets'? Or 'horseracism'? Is there an etymological connection between 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'?A caller wants to settle a friendly argument: Is something not worth debating called a 'moot point' or a 'mute point'?A listener calls from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to say that in her native Spanish, she can use several diffe ...

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Paper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 10 Mar. 2008

You've just read a terrific paperback novel. Would you feel any differently about it if you'd the same words on the glowing screen of an electronic book? Martha and Grant discuss the social and psychological implications of books that run on batteries.A caller remembers an odd phrase from her childhood. If she asked too many questions, her mother would brush them off with the phrase 'layers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.' Say what?A Milwaukee listener is curious about an expressi ...

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Paper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 10 Mar. 2008

You've just read a terrific paperback novel. Would you feel any differently about it if you'd the same words on the glowing screen of an electronic book? Martha and Grant discuss the social and psychological implications of books that run on batteries.A caller remembers an odd phrase from her childhood. If she asked too many questions, her mother would brush them off with the phrase 'layers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.' Say what?A Milwaukee listener is curious about an expressi ...

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Paper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 10 Mar. 2008

You've just read a terrific paperback novel. Would you feel any differently about it if you'd the same words on the glowing screen of an electronic book? Martha and Grant discuss the social and psychological implications of books that run on batteries.A caller remembers an odd phrase from her childhood. If she asked too many questions, her mother would brush them off with the phrase 'layers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.' Say what?A Milwaukee listener is curious about an expressi ...

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Celebrate National Grammar Day - 3 Mar. 2008

Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day on March 4. Also, when you're scribbling on a piece of paper, do you find yourself expecting spellcheck to kick in and underline your misspellings with squiggly red lines? A caller wants a term for the act of trying to do offline what can only be done online. Let's see...there's National Cheese Day on January 20 and of course National Iguana Awareness Day on September 8. So it's only fitting that goo ...

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Celebrate National Grammar Day - 3 Mar. 2008

Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day on March 4.Also, when you're scribbling on a piece of paper, do you find yourself expecting spellcheck to kick in and underline your misspellings with squiggly red lines? A caller wants a term for the act of trying to do offline what can only be done online.Let's see...there's National Cheese Day on January 20 and of course National Iguana Awareness Day on September 8. So it's only fitting that good ...

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Celebrate National Grammar Day - 3 Mar. 2008

Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day on March 4. Also, when you're scribbling on a piece of paper, do you find yourself expecting spellcheck to kick in and underline your misspellings with squiggly red lines? A caller wants a term for the act of trying to do offline what can only be done online. Let's see...there's National Cheese Day on January 20 and of course National Iguana Awareness Day on September 8. So it's only fitting that goo ...

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Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 25 Feb. 2008

Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York City at the end of the month.http://www.crosswordtournament.com/An Atlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew up using the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains the connection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.'Which is the correct form ...

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Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 25 Feb. 2008

Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York City at the end of the month.http://www.crosswordtournament.com/An Atlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew up using the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains the connection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.'Which is the correct form ...

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Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 25 Feb. 2008

Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York City at the end of the month.http://www.crosswordtournament.com/An Atlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew up using the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains the connection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.'Which is the correct form ...

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Expresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 18 Feb. 2008

There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world today, and by some estimates, they're dying off at the rate of one every week. What's lost when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and efforts to record some endangered languages before they die out completely.A caller named Holly confesses that there's a word that practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it. Grant assures her she's not alone in her aversion to the word--Holly, cover your eyes--'moist.' ...

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Expresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 18 Feb. 2008

There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world today, and by some estimates, they're dying off at the rate of one every week. What's lost when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and efforts to record some endangered languages before they die out completely.A caller named Holly confesses that there's a word that practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it. Grant assures her she's not alone in her aversion to the word--Holly, cover your eyes--'moist.' ...

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Expresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 18 Feb. 2008

There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world today, and by some estimates, they're dying off at the rate of one every week. What's lost when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and efforts to record some endangered languages before they die out completely.A caller named Holly confesses that there's a word that practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it. Grant assures her she's not alone in her aversion to the word--Holly, cover your eyes--'moist.' ...

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Squeejawed Red-heads and Grockles - 11 Feb. 2008

In this week's episode: Just how far back could you go and still understand the English people were speaking? We crank up our trusty time machine to find out. Hint: You'd probably have a tough time getting around in the eighth century, when English poetry looked like: 'Hwaet we gardena in geardagum...'Speaking of the more recent past: When you played hide-and-seek as a child, did you yell 'Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free'? Or 'Ally Ally in Free'? Or maybe 'Ally Ally Ump Free'? 'Ole Ole Olsen Free'? ...

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Squeejawed Red-heads and Grockles - 11 Feb. 2008

In this week's episode: Just how far back could you go and still understand the English people were speaking? We crank up our trusty time machine to find out. Hint: You'd probably have a tough time getting around in the eighth century, when English poetry looked like: 'Hwaet we gardena in geardagum...'Speaking of the more recent past: When you played hide-and-seek as a child, did you yell 'Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free'? Or 'Ally Ally in Free'? Or maybe 'Ally Ally Ump Free'? 'Ole Ole Olsen Free'? ...

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Squeejawed Red-heads and Grockles - 11 Feb. 2008

In this week's episode: Just how far back could you go and still understand the English people were speaking? We crank up our trusty time machine to find out. Hint: You'd probably have a tough time getting around in the eighth century, when English poetry looked like: 'Hwaet we gardena in geardagum...'Speaking of the more recent past: When you played hide-and-seek as a child, did you yell 'Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free'? Or 'Ally Ally in Free'? Or maybe 'Ally Ally Ump Free'? 'Ole Ole Olsen Free'? ...

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Insegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 04 Feb. 2008

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 academic research and they help a caller decipher a puzzling word from a personals ad: what does 'paratereseomaniac' mean?A electronic teenager repellent? An alarm clock that runs away from you to make you'll wake up? Yep, it's the Ig Nobel Prizes, those awards for academic research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think. Martha and G ...

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Insegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 04 Feb. 2008

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 academic research and they help a caller decipher a puzzling word from a personals ad: what does 'paratereseomaniac' mean?A electronic teenager repellent? An alarm clock that runs away from you to make you'll wake up? Yep, it's the Ig Nobel Prizes, those awards for academic research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think. Martha and G ...

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Insegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 04 Feb. 2008

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 academic research and they help a caller decipher a puzzling word from a personals ad: what does 'paratereseomaniac' mean?A electronic teenager repellent? An alarm clock that runs away from you to make you'll wake up? Yep, it's the Ig Nobel Prizes, those awards for academic research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think. Martha and G ...

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Road Trip! - 28 Jan. 2008

In this episode, a listener says his friend Harold does all his social phoning while driving, so he's invented a term for mindless calling while in the car. And no, it's not 'car-pe diem.' Also, Martha and Grant also discuss the rules of the road games 'padiddle' and 'slug bug.'Maybe you know it as 'perdiddle,' but a Wisconsinite shares fond memories of playing 'padiddle.' The game involves at least two people in a car, an oncoming vehicle with a headlight out, and--depending on which versi ...

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Road Trip! - 28 Jan. 2008

In this episode, a listener says his friend Harold does all his social phoning while driving, so he's invented a term for mindless calling while in the car. And no, it's not 'car-pe diem.' Also, Martha and Grant also discuss the rules of the road games 'padiddle' and 'slug bug.'Maybe you know it as 'perdiddle,' but a Wisconsinite shares fond memories of playing 'padiddle.' The game involves at least two people in a car, an oncoming vehicle with a headlight out, and--depending on which versi ...

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Road Trip! - 28 Jan. 2008

In this episode, a listener says his friend Harold does all his social phoning while driving, so he's invented a term for mindless calling while in the car. And no, it's not 'car-pe diem.' Also, Martha and Grant also discuss the rules of the road games 'padiddle' and 'slug bug.'Maybe you know it as 'perdiddle,' but a Wisconsinite shares fond memories of playing 'padiddle.' The game involves at least two people in a car, an oncoming vehicle with a headlight out, and--depending on which versi ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


See A Man About A Horse - 14 Jan. 2008

In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?A caller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tide me over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets should tide her over.If a dictator dictates, and an aviat ...

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See A Man About A Horse - 14 Jan. 2008

In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?A caller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tide me over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets should tide her over.If a dictator dictates, and an aviat ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


See A Man About A Horse - 14 Jan. 2008

In this week's episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined 'Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.'By the way, did you ever notice how ONION is ZO-ZO if you tilt your head to the right?A caller has a friendly disagreement with a pal: Is the expression 'tide me over' or 'tie me over'? Hint: The answer she gets should tide her over.If a dictator dictates, and an aviat ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Words of the Year - 24 Dec. 2007

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 be 'w00t,' 'subprime,' or something else? You can also check out Grant's longer look at 'word of the year' contenders in The New York Times Week in Review section on Sunday.Get out your plastic utensils and pull up a folding chair! A caller's question about the origin of the word 'potluck' stirs up mouthwatering memories of crispy fried chicke ...

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Words of the Year - 24 Dec. 2007

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 be 'w00t,' 'subprime,' or something else? You can also check out Grant's longer look at 'word of the year' contenders in The New York Times Week in Review section on Sunday.Get out your plastic utensils and pull up a folding chair! A caller's question about the origin of the word 'potluck' stirs up mouthwatering memories of crispy fried chicke ...

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Words of the Year - 24 Dec. 2007

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 be 'w00t,' 'subprime,' or something else? You can also check out Grant's longer look at 'word of the year' contenders in The New York Times Week in Review section on Sunday.Get out your plastic utensils and pull up a folding chair! A caller's question about the origin of the word 'potluck' stirs up mouthwatering memories of crispy fried chicke ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Bite the Wax Tadpole - 17 Dec. 2007

In this episode, Martha and Grant discuss advertising slogans and product names supposedly botched in translation. They also recommend an eclectic mix of books for the word-lover on your holiday list, from military slang to Yiddish.'Biting the Wax Tadpole'? It's the wacky title of a new book by language enthusiast Elizabeth Little which has Martha and Grant talking about whether Coca-Cola and Chevrolet ran into cultural translation problems when selling products abroad. Did the Chevy Nova r ...

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Bite the Wax Tadpole - 17 Dec. 2007

In this episode, Martha and Grant discuss advertising slogans and product names supposedly botched in translation. They also recommend an eclectic mix of books for the word-lover on your holiday list, from military slang to Yiddish.'Biting the Wax Tadpole'? It's the wacky title of a new book by language enthusiast Elizabeth Little which has Martha and Grant talking about whether Coca-Cola and Chevrolet ran into cultural translation problems when selling products abroad. Did the Chevy Nova r ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Bite the Wax Tadpole - 17 Dec. 2007

In this episode, Martha and Grant discuss advertising slogans and product names supposedly botched in translation. They also recommend an eclectic mix of books for the word-lover on your holiday list, from military slang to Yiddish.'Biting the Wax Tadpole'? It's the wacky title of a new book by language enthusiast Elizabeth Little which has Martha and Grant talking about whether Coca-Cola and Chevrolet ran into cultural translation problems when selling products abroad. Did the Chevy Nova r ...

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Insegrevious Paratereseomaniacs - 10 Dec. 2007

This week Martha and Grant honor winners of the Ig Nobel Prizes, those wacky awards for weird academic research and they help a caller decipher a puzzling word from a personals ad: what does 'paratereseomaniac' mean?A electronic teenager repellent? An alarm clock that runs away from you to make you'll wake up? Yep, it's the Ig Nobel Prizes, those awards for academic research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think. Martha and Grant honor this year's winners for linguistics and l ...

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Word Jocks Lettered in Language - 3 Dec. 2007

Pass the Gatorade! Martha and Grant work up a sweat this week as they tackle a sports quiz and lob vocabulary questions back and forth. They also settle a family dispute about the pronunciation of 'eco-friendly' and unlock the etymology of 'skeleton key.'Do you know what a 'rampike' is? Or a 'colobus'? Martha and Grant test each other's knowledge of ten-dollars words with the online quiz at FreeRice.com.A reader of Anthony Bourdain's 'Kitchen Confidential' thinks the book is snarky--but wha ...

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Season Premiere: Howdy, It's a Wit's War! - 26 Nov. 2007

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 episode. Also:A New York schoolteacher asks, 'Why do we call our little finger a 'pinkie'?'Another caller snickers over a newscaster's attempt to pronounce the word 'homage.'A Hoosier who's been hanging out on motorcycle discussion boards is curious about the origin of the term 'do-rag.''Why is an undesirable task is called a 'g-job,'' asks a ...

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Season Premiere: Howdy, It's a Wit's War! - 26 Nov. 2007

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 episode. Also:A New York schoolteacher asks, 'Why do we call our little finger a 'pinkie'?'Another caller snickers over a newscaster's attempt to pronounce the word 'homage.'A Hoosier who's been hanging out on motorcycle discussion boards is curious about the origin of the term 'do-rag.''Why is an undesirable task is called a 'g-job,'' asks a ...

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Season Premiere: Howdy, It's a Wit's War! - 26 Nov. 2007

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 episode. Also:A New York schoolteacher asks, 'Why do we call our little finger a 'pinkie'?'Another caller snickers over a newscaster's attempt to pronounce the word 'homage.'A Hoosier who's been hanging out on motorcycle discussion boards is curious about the origin of the term 'do-rag.''Why is an undesirable task is called a 'g-job,'' asks a ...

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Grant: Nosy Parkers and Butternuts - 20 Nov. 2007

Grant goes through the mailbag, offering answers about the terms "nosy parker," "out of pocket," and about whether the word "falsehood" has its origins in medieval garb. He also throws a question out to listeners about what is supposedly a mild British oath, "butternut!"

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Grant: Nosy Parkers and Butternuts - 20 Nov. 2007

Grant goes through the mailbag, offering answers about the terms 'nosy parker,' 'out of pocket,' and about whether the word 'falsehood' has its origins in medieval garb. He also throws a question out to listeners about what is supposedly a mild British oath, 'butternut!'

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Grant: Nosy Parkers and Butternuts - 20 Nov. 2007

Grant goes through the mailbag, offering answers about the terms 'nosy parker,' 'out of pocket,' and about whether the word 'falsehood' has its origins in medieval garb. He also throws a question out to listeners about what is supposedly a mild British oath, 'butternut!'

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha and Grant: Points on a Compass, the Saga Continues

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 boatload of more proposed answers from listeners. But one response stood out above all the others, so Martha and Grant go back to Tom for a third time with what they hope is the right answer. PLUS: Brand-new, one-hour shows will start appearing in the podcast feed November 21st.

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Martha and Grant: Points on a Compass, the Saga Continues

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 boatload of more proposed answers from listeners. But one response stood out above all the others, so Martha and Grant go back to Tom for a third time with what they hope is the right answer. PLUS: Brand-new, one-hour shows will start appearing in the podcast feed November 21st.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha and Grant: Points on a Compass, the Saga Continues

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 boatload of more proposed answers from listeners. But one response stood out above all the others, so Martha and Grant go back to Tom for a third time with what they hope is the right answer. PLUS: Brand-new, one-hour shows will start appearing in the podcast feed November 21st.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha and Grant: The Blue Bark Mystery - 7 Nov. 2007

A caller asks a delicate question about the phrase _blue bark shipment_, a term involving the transport of deceased members of the military. Martha and Grant discuss this puzzling expression and the challenge of tracking down its origins.

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Martha and Grant: The Blue Bark Mystery - 7 Nov. 2007

A caller asks a delicate question about the phrase 'blue bark shipment,' a term involving the transport of deceased members of the military. Martha and Grant discuss this puzzling expression and the challenge of tracking down its origins.

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Martha and Grant: The Blue Bark Mystery - 7 Nov. 2007

A caller asks a delicate question about the phrase 'blue bark shipment,' a term involving the transport of deceased members of the military. Martha and Grant discuss this puzzling expression and the challenge of tracking down its origins.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha and Grant: Let's Blow This Joint - 31 Oct. 2007

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 by way of author Jim Harrison, the comic strip Funky Winkerbean, and a Warhol hanger-on.

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Martha and Grant: Let's Blow This Joint - 31 Oct. 2007

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 by way of author Jim Harrison, the comic strip Funky Winkerbean, and a Warhol hanger-on.

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Martha and Grant: Let's Blow This Joint - 31 Oct. 2007

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 by way of author Jim Harrison, the comic strip Funky Winkerbean, and a Warhol hanger-on.

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Grant: Dangerous Books You Should Read - 24 Oct. 2007

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 Guide to the World's Great Aphorists. Grant explains why leafing through such books can be rewarding, but hazardous to your time management.

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Grant: Dangerous Books You Should Read - 24 Oct. 2007

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 Guide to the World's Great Aphorists. Grant explains why leafing through such books can be rewarding, but hazardous to your time management.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Grant: Dangerous Books You Should Read - 24 Oct. 2007

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 Guide to the World's Great Aphorists. Grant explains why leafing through such books can be rewarding, but hazardous to your time management.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha and Grant: Hey, That's Mine! - 17 Oct. 2007

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 another verb used in such situations: finnie. Grant explains this wordâs meaning and origin.

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Martha and Grant: Hey, That's Mine! - 17 Oct. 2007

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 another verb used in such situations: finnie. Grant explains this word's meaning and origin.

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Martha and Grant: Hey, That's Mine! - 17 Oct. 2007

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 another verb used in such situations: finnie. Grant explains this word's meaning and origin.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha: Appalachian Cackleberries - 10 Oct. 2007

Martha reminisces about her family's mountain roots while dipping into the delicious vocabulary of Southernisms found in the Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English. Listen to this one, ya'll, and you find out what a cackleberry is, and why you don't want to drink milk thatâs blinky.

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Martha: Appalachian Cackleberries - 10 Oct. 2007

Martha reminisces about her family's mountain roots while dipping into the delicious vocabulary of Southernisms found in the Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English. Listen to this one, ya'll, and you find out what a cackleberry is, and why you don't want to drink milk thatâs blinky.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha: Appalachian Cackleberries - 10 Oct. 2007

Martha reminisces about her family's mountain roots while dipping into the delicious vocabulary of Southernisms found in the Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English. Listen to this one, ya'll, and you find out what a cackleberry is, and why you don't want to drink milk thatâs blinky.

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Martha: The Love Dimple - 3 Oct. 2007

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 that etymology is nothing if not sexy.

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Martha: The Love Dimple - 3 Oct. 2007

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 that etymology is nothing if not sexy.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha: The Love Dimple - 3 Oct. 2007

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 that etymology is nothing if not sexy.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha: A Collection of Collective Nouns - 26 Sept. 2007

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 groups of 1) tennis players, 2) aliens from outer space, and 3) language-loving word hosts? You sent us a cleverness of witty entries, and Martha has the winners.

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Martha: A Collection of Collective Nouns - 26 Sept. 2007

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 groups of 1) tennis players, 2) aliens from outer space, and 3) language-loving word hosts? You sent us a cleverness of witty entries, and Martha has the winners.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website


Martha: A Collection of Collective Nouns - 26 Sept. 2007

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 groups of 1) tennis players, 2) aliens from outer space, and 3) language-loving word hosts? You sent us a cleverness of witty entries, and Martha has the winners.

Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website