Beep-boop-beep! It's another newsletter from "A Way with Words." This weekend we had a row over the death of the subjunctive, listened with curiosity to a Texan talking about "help your plate," fell in love with...
abortuary n.— «According to the testimony of several women who have had abortions at the Planned Parenthood abortuary, women don’t usually see the doctor/abortionist until they are in the room and prepped for the abortion...
credit n.— «Healthy banks took the money. Who wouldn’t accept what an addled rich uncle was giving away. But banks are in the business of lending. And thus what they really want are what are known in the trade as “good credits”—credit...
You’ve seen people indicate emphasis by putting a period after each of several words, and capitalizing the first letter of each word. A Michigan listener wonders how this stylistic trick arose. Her question was prompted by this description of...
vent figure n.— «Klein, who lives in Nanticoke, is a trained ventriloquist. She and her puppets, or “vent figures” as they are called in the trade, perform for kids and adults throughout the area.» —“A woman’s love...
Ahoy, mateys, and welcome aboard another newsletter from A Way with Words! We are delighted to welcome our new listeners from KTOO in Juneau, Alaska, and WCAI, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The smell of leather-bound books and printer's ink is...