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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Can of Worms

Posted October 20, 2012 .
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What do you call a guy with a bald pate? A chrome dome? Maybe the lucky fellow is sporting a solar panel for a sex machine. Also, which would you rather open: a can of worms or Pandora’s box? Plus, ordinary vs. ornery, versing vs. versus, dishwater vs. ditchwater, the copyediting term stet, still hunts, [...]
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Nothing to Sneeze At

Posted October 15, 2012 .
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Forensic linguists use what they know about speech and writing to testify in courtrooms. And get out your hankies! Martha and Grant are talking about the language of … sneezing. And what do you call it when you clean the house in a hurry because company’s coming? How about making lasagna or shame cleaning? Plus [...]
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As Much Food As One’s Hand Can Hold

Posted October 10, 2012 .
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Whatever the amount might be, “as much food as one’s hand can hold” is how Samuel Johnson defined the luncheon in his 1755 dictionary entry. Over the two centuries since, we’ve seen more than a handful of takes on lunch, and it’s the subject of a fantastic exhibit called “Lunch Hour NYC” running at the [...]
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Newsletter: How “Gay” Got That Way

Posted October 9, 2012 .
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[Grover voice:] Hello, everybodeee! We’ve been cranking out brand-new episodes, so if you’re behind, there are treats in store: • In last week’s episode, “Gone Pecan,” we explained how how gay got that way, we laid out the logic behind confusion between borrow, lend, and loan, and we learned the history behind grammar school. Listen [...]
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Newsletter: Martian Pandas

Posted September 21, 2012 .
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Helloooo! Guess what’s starting this weekend? Brand-new episodes! It’s our sixth season as an independent national show and the show’s 15th season overall. We’ve come a long way from the crystal radio transmitter and kazoo backing band. During the 2011-12 season, we recorded 30 brand-new episodes. That’s possible, in part, thanks to your donations. More [...]
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The Uncanny Valley

Posted September 15, 2012 .
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The disturbing sensation you feel when almost-human characters seem downright creepy is called the uncanny valley. Speaking of creepy, do you know someone with a morbid fear of clowns? There’s a term for that, too. Why do politicians suspend a campaign instead of just ending it? How is it that the sentence Buffalo buffalo Buffalo [...]
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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]

All Content by Date

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