A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Light-hearted conversation with callers from all over about new words, old sayings, slang, family expressions, language change and varieties, as well as word histories, linguistics, regional dialects, word games, grammar, books, literature, writing, and more. Be a part of the show with author/journalist Martha Barnette and linguist/lexicographer Grant Barrett. Share your language thoughts, questions, and stories: https://waywordradio.org/contact or words@waywordradio.org. In the US đşđ¸ and Canada đ¨đŚ, call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free 24/7. In the UK đŹđ§, 020 3286 5677. In MĂŠxico đ˛đ˝, 55 8421 8567. Send a voice note or question via WhatsApp, 16198004443. From everywhere, call or text +1 (619) 800-4443. Past episodes, show notes, topic search, and more: https://waywordradio.org. A Way with Words is listener-supported! https://waywordradio.org/donate â¤ď¸ Want to listen without ads? Subscribe here! https://awww.supportingcast.fm
Episodes
April 29, 2024 ⢠53 mins
So youâve long dreamed of writing fiction, but donât know where to begin? There are lots of ways to get started â creative writing classes, local writing groups, and books with prompts to get you going. The key is to get started, and then stick with it. And: which part of the body do surgeons call the goose? Hint: you donât want a bite of chicken caught in your goose. Also, the nautical origins of the phrase three sheets to the win...
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April 22, 2024 ⢠53 mins
When an international team of scientists traveled to a research station in Antarctica for six months, the language they all shared was English. After six months together, their accents changed ever so slightly â a miniature version of how language evolves over time. Plus, the esoteric lingo from another rarefied environment: the world of contemporary art. And where in the world would you find a stravenue? Itâs a mix of avenue and s...
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April 15, 2024 ⢠53 mins
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after a familyâs beloved horse. And: 50 years ago in the United States, some Latino elementary students were made to adopt English versions of their own names and forbidden to speak Spanish. The idea was to help them assimilate, but that practice came with a price. Plus, who is Riley, and why ...
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April 8, 2024 ⢠53 mins
How can you kick the verbal habit of saying you know and um so many times in a sentence? For one thing, get comfortable with pauses. Thereâs no need to fill every silence during a conversation. Also, a doctor who treats patients in Appalachia shares their colorful vocabulary. If you have a rising in your leader or a misery in your jaw, you may want medical attention. Speaking of ailments, have you ever suffered from warbler neck? B...
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April 1, 2024 ⢠53 mins
Itâs hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about internet language says this disagreement is worth remembering when we talk about how greetings are evolving today â both online and off. Plus, a Los Angeles teacher asks: What are the rules fo...
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March 25, 2024 ⢠53 mins
In her sumptuous new memoir, Jamaican writer Safiya Sinclair describes her escape from a difficult childhood ruled by her tyrannical father. For Sinclair, poetry became a lifeline. Plus: that fizzy chocolate drink called an egg cream contains neither eggs nor cream â but why? And what do you call a cute dimple in someoneâs chin? A listener calls it a chimple. Also, arrested sternutation, nonplussed, slatch, the Gruen effect, tinker...
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March 18, 2024 ⢠53 mins
One way to make your new business look trendy is to use two nouns separated by an ampersand, like Peach & Creature or Rainstorm & Egg or ⌠just about any other two-word combination. A tongue-in-cheek website will generate names like that for you. And: In the traditions of several African countries, names for babies are often inspired by conditions at the time of their birth, like a period of grief or wedding festivities, or the bab...
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March 11, 2024 ⢠53 mins
Whatâs the best thing to say to someone who is grieving? Choosing the right words is far less important than just showing up. Also, a family from Russia shares their recipe for something they call hot tamales, that are very un-Mexican. And: if someoneâs trying to be philosophical about a situation, they might say sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. Plus, horsengoggling, a fragrant 16th-century simile, might as ...
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March 4, 2024 ⢠53 mins
âWhat has a head like a cat, feet like a cat, a tail like a cat, but isnât a cat?â Answer: a kitten! A 1948 childrenâs joke book has lots of these to share with kids. Plus: an easy explanation for the difference between immigrate with an i, and emigrate with an e. And: The ancient Greeks revered storks for the way they cared for each other. They even had a legal requirement called the Stork Law, which mandated that Greek adults loo...
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February 26, 2024 ⢠53 mins
In Japan, if you want to order a corndog, you ask for an Amerikan doggu (ă˘ăĄăŞăŤăłăăă°). These types of coinages are called wasei-eigo , or âJapanese-made English,â and there are lots of them. Plus, thereâs an atmospheric optical phenomenon that looks somewhat like the aurora borealis, but has a much friendlier name. Scientists refer to these ribbons of color as ⌠Steve. And: need a synonym for the word âconspicuousâ? Thereâs always ken...
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February 19, 2024 ⢠53 mins
Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spanish-language adventure novel, an account of 19th-century dictionary wars, and a gorgeously illustrated book of letters to young readers. Plus, whatâs the best language for conveying a heartfelt apology? Ideally, an apology wonât be the end of a conversation. Rather, it will be the beginni...
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February 12, 2024 ⢠53 mins
If youâre in a book club, how do you decide what books to read? There are lots of different ways, depending on your groupâs goals. And is it ever wise to correct someone who mispronounces a word? Sometimes you have to decide if itâs better to be rightâor simply get along. Plus, some research suggests that when presented with photos from nature, humans naturally focus on animals instead of plants. Botanists even have a term for this...
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February 5, 2024 ⢠53 mins
The edge of the Grand Canyon. A remote mountaintop. A medieval cathedral. Some places are so mystical you feel like youâre close to another dimension of space and time. Thereâs a term for such locales: thin places. And: did you ever go tick-tacking a few nights before Halloween? Itâs pranks like tapping ominously on windows without being caught or tossing corn kernels all over a front porch. Also, horses run throughout our language...
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January 29, 2024 ⢠53 mins
Your first name is very personal, but what if you donât like it? For some people, changing their name works out great but for others it may create more problems than it solves. And: at least three towns in the U.S. were christened with names formed by spelling a word backward. Thereâs a name for such names: theyâre called ananyms. Plus, the Iowa town with a curious name: What Cheer. And: a brain game involving kangaroo words, had t...
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January 22, 2024 ⢠53 mins
What do you call a segment of an orange? These juicy pieces of fruit go by lots of different names, including section, wedge, and carpel. But theyâre also called pegs or even pigs! The stringy parts of a banana also have a surprising name. Also, we need a word to describe that productive period of wakefulness in the middle of the night before falling back into âsecond sleep.â And: anagrams that make a statement. The letters in the ...
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January 15, 2024 ⢠53 mins
The autocomplete function on your phone comes in handy, of course. But is it changing the way we write and how linguists study language? Also, suppose you could invite any two authors, living or dead, to dinner. Who's on your guest list and why? Plus, anchors aweigh! The slang of sailors includes the kind of BOSS you'd better dodge, a barn you sail into, and the difference between the Baja Ha-Ha and the Baja Bash. All that, and a b...
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January 8, 2024 ⢠53 mins
How do actors bring Shakespeareâs lines to life so that modern audiences immediately understand the text? One way is to emphasize the names of people and places at certain points. That technique is called billboarding. And: Anyone for an alphabet game? A pangram is a sentence that uses every letter of the alphabet at least once. Thereâs the one about the quick, brown fox, of course. But thereâs a whole world of others, including pa...
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January 1, 2024 ⢠53 mins
If you skip wearing underwear, youâre said to be going commando. This bit of slang originated during the Vietnam War, when U.S. commandos had compelling reasons to do without that particular piece of clothing. Plus, Watergate salad is a mixture of pistachio pudding with whipped cream and pineapple. This dish was popularized in the 1970s, but what does it have anything to do with the scandal that brought down a president? Also: The ...
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December 25, 2023 ⢠53 mins
Stunt performers in movies have their own jargon for talking about their dangerous work. In New York City, the slang term brick means âcold,â and dumb brick means âreally cold.â Plus: the East and Central African tradition that distinguishes between ancestors who remain alive in living memory and those who have receded into the vast ocean of history. In this sense, all of us are moving toward the past, not away from it. And, the In...
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December 18, 2023 ⢠53 mins
Crossword puzzles are a marvelous mental workout. A delightful new book about them shares plenty of crossword lore and puzzle-solving tips. Also, performers who tell each other break a leg arenât really hoping someone gets hurt. The phrase stems from an old superstition that involves saying the opposite of what you really wish. And: is conversate a real word? You bet it is! Prepare for some serious conversating about this very usef...
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