A Way with Words A Way with Words
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A Way with Words
A public radio program about language examined through history, culture, and family.
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You Sound Old

Posted June 30, 2012 .
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Ever drop a reference that just makes you sound, well, of a certain age? Grant and Martha discuss language that’s lost on other generations. Why is the entree the main course? Shouldn’t it come first? And why is the letter k silent in “knot” and “knight”? Plus, the right way to say “the,” a remedy [...]
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Nothing Else Like it On Public Radio

Posted June 19, 2012 .
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We need your contribution today. A Way with Words costs money to make. And it receives no money from National Public Radio or radio stations. In fact, the biggest part of the show’s budget is covered by listeners just like you. More than a thousand of them, each saying with every dollar, “I want more [...]
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Lucky Calico Cats

Posted June 14, 2012 .
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Hi-ho, neighbors! Did you catch last week’s brand-new episode? Listen to “Lousy with Diamonds,” see its show notes, or download the MP3. Among many other things, we talked about money cat. It’s what a Mainer might call a calico cat. The idea goes back to a bit of folklore that calicos bring you good luck. [...]
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Behind every hour is you — another five years!

Posted June 11, 2012 .
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A Way with Words is celebrating its fifth anniversary as an independent program! Thanks to your donations, the show is now heard across North America and around the world by more than a quarter-million listeners each week. When we took over the show in 2007, we knew how to make radio. We knew what people [...]
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Lousy with Diamonds

Posted June 8, 2012 .
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Can children adopted from other countries easily re-learn their native languages as adults? And if you’re invited to an old-fashioned pound party, what should you bring? Also, regional names for those wheeled contraptions you use at the grocery, summer reading recommendations, and a breed of cat that’s supposed to bring you riches and good luck. [...]
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Open Sesame!

Posted June 7, 2012 .
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Queridos amigos, we have two brand-new episodes to share! On the air this past weekend we debated, among many other things, whether there was a difference in meaning between gray and grey. Martha insists that there is and she’s not the only one. Grant, on the other hand, agrees with this curious note from the [...]
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Episodes & Posts

  • Gone Pecan 04/28/2013: How did the word gay go from meaning lighthearted to homosexual? Also, why are elementary schools sometimes called grammar schools? Plus, imeldific, gone pecan, random... [more]
  • Dog and Pony Show 04/20/2013: Remember getting caught sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G? Grant and Martha wax nostalgic on some classic schoolyard rhymes. What do you call your offspring once... [more]
  • Good Juju 04/15/2013: Imagine a time when heroin was marketed for the whole family. It really happened! Also, how Twitter, M&M's, and Hallmark cards got their names. Plus,... [more]
  • What’s a Hipster? 04/08/2013: Get out your skinny jeans and pass the PBR! Martha and Grant discuss the definition of the word hipster. Also, what happens when you pull... [more]
  • Crazy Crossword Clues 03/25/2013: Should youngsters learn cursive handwriting in school? Plus, someone can be ruthless, but can that same person be ruthful? Which word refers to something larger,... [more]

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All Content by Kind

Recent Segments

  • Frunk 03/18/2013: Do you have junk in your frunk? As in, the front trunk, found on cars like a zippy Tesla. This is part of a complete... [more]
  • Rule of Thumb Origin 03/18/2013: Where does rule of thumb come from? The idiom referring to a practical measure based on experience was never actually a law, though it does... [more]
  • Sacapuntas and Mock Obscenity 03/18/2013: If you need to release some tension but don't want to curse, try shouting "sacapuntas!" This Spanish word for "pencil sharpener" falls into a colorful... [more]

Join the Discussion

  • ♦ Crossword Pun Clues Dick on 2013/06/19
  • ♦ beloved of God Glenn on 2013/06/19
  • ♦ Newcoked? Schlimbesserung! The Germans already have a word for it, though I doubt it will catch on. RobertB on 2013/06/18
  • ♦ /ɔr/ for /ɚ/ RobertB on 2013/06/18
  • ♦ "goomba" RobertB on 2013/06/17
  • ♦ How to form the plural of Mini Rex Heimhenge on 2013/06/16
  • ♦ My brains nelgin on 2013/06/15
  • ♦ Draught vs Draft, etc. nelgin on 2013/06/15
  • ♦ Bankrupt of street cred nelgin on 2013/06/15
  • ♦ Great call about Lasagna closets! nelgin on 2013/06/15
  • ♦ Man as gender-neutral vocative Dick on 2013/06/14
  • ♦ EESS-is Robert on 2013/06/09
  • ♦ emeritus Glenn on 2013/06/07
  • ♦ Intrusive R Glenn on 2013/06/07
  • ♦ Geek as a verb? Heimhenge on 2013/06/04