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Language Headlines (minicast)

Grant dishes up the latest language headlines from around the world, including names so weird they sparked legal action. Two New Zealand parents really did name their daughter “Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii.” Also, what’s wrong...

Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers

Unless you’ve been hiding out in a galaxy far, far away, you know that this is an election year. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of glass pockets? Or horseracism? Is there an etymological connection between...

Give It the Old College Slang

Booya! It's another newsletter from A Way with Words. This past weekend's show rocked the mic. We talked about "voluntold," "apple of my eye," nicknames for Vancouver, and the expression "a face that could gag a...

An Outraged Letter

A Pittsburgh man is bothered by people who would say someone wrote an outraged letter. Can a letter really be angry and indignant or is it really the writer who’s upset? Martha answers his question and seizes the opportunity to talk about the...

clapter

clapter  n.— «You can prompt applause with a sign. My friend, SNL writer Seth Meyers, coined the term clapter, which is when you do a political joke and people go, “Woo-hoo.” It means they sort of approve but didn’t really like...

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