Here you’ll find full episodes of public radio’s A Way with Words, heard on NPR stations around the United States. Looking for something you heard on the show? Try the search page.
Walkie Talkie (episode #1541) 01/27/2020: One of the most powerful words you'll ever hear — and one of the most poignant — isn't in dictionaries yet. But it probably will... [more]
Tiger Tail (episode #1540) 01/20/2020: You may have a favorite word in English, but what about your favorite in another language? The Spanish term ojalá is especially handy for expressing... [more]
Clever Clogs (episode #1539) 12/23/2019: Ribbon fall. Gallery forest. You won't find terms like these in most dictionaries, but they and hundreds like them are discussed by famous writers in... [more]
Son of a Gun! - a Special Minicast from Grant 12/19/2019: Grant shoots holes in a story that just won’t die that about "son of a gun" and babies born aboard sailing ships.
Before you get started... [more]
Little Shavers (episode #1538) 12/15/2019: The word hipster might seem recent, but it actually originated in the 1930s when it referred to jazz aficionados who were in the know about... [more]