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Fenderbergs

Martha shares listener email about what to call that icy buildup in your car’s wheel wells. Fenderbergs, anyone? This is part of a complete episode.

Tweet, Tweet! Polly Wanna Cracker?

Hey, hey, hey! It's another fat newsletter from "A Way with Words"! We never run out of things to talk about. Take this past weekend's show, for example. We tracked down the history of "Polly wanna cracker." It turns out...

Up To Possible

In an earlier episode, the hosts heard from a woman who, as a teenager, was scolded by her grandmother for wearing a skirt that Granny said was almost up to possible. The woman wondered about that phrase’s meaning and origin. Grant shares...

A Moniker for Your Monitor

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...

Possible Origins of Sketchy

In an earlier episode, we discussed the slang term sketchy, meaning “creepy” or “alarming” or “suspicious.” Grant shares an email from a listener suggesting a link to the world of amphetamine users. This is part...