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A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

Light-hearted conversation with callers from all over about new words, old sayings, slang, family ex

Episodes

Total: 775

A new online archive of Civil War letters offers a vivid portrait of the everyday lives of enlisted

Skookum - 21 October 2019

2019/10/21

So you've long dreamed of writing fiction, but don't know where to begin? There are lots of ways to

If you're not using a dictionary to look up puzzling words as you read them, you're missing out on a

Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy trea

Some countries have strict laws about naming babies. New Zealand authorities, for example, denied a

It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when

One way to make your new business look trendy is to use two nouns separated by an ampersand, like Pe

SUMMARY Of all the letters in the alphabet, which two or three are your favorites? If your short lis

Decisions by dictionary editors, wacky wordplay, and Walt Whitman's soaring verse.  How do lexicogra

A highly anticipated children’s book and the epic history behind a familiar vegetable: fans of illus

Where would you find a sports commentator talking about high cheese and ducks on a pond? Here’s a hi

Gerrymandering draws political boundaries to tip elections towards certain political parties. Origin

The only time you'll ever see the sun's outer atmosphere is during a full solar eclipse, when sun it

"What has a head like a cat, feet like a cat, a tail like a cat, but isn't a cat?" Answer: a kitten!

This week it’s butterflies, belly flowers, plot bunnies, foxes, and cuckoos. Also, writing advice fr

Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an op

As a kid, you may have played that game where you phone someone to say, “Is your refrigerator runnin

Gift Horse - 1 July 2019

2019/7/1

The edge of the Grand Canyon. A remote mountaintop. A medieval cathedral. Some places are so mystica

What’s the best way for someone busy to learn lots of new words quickly for a test like the GRE? Loo

Your first name is very personal, but what if you don't like it? For some people, changing their nam