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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 recent study found that some names crop up more frequently than others in certain professions. The

Writers and where they do their best creative work. A new book on Geoffrey Chaucer describes the dar

Brand names, children’s games, and the etiquette of phone conversations. Those clever plastic PEZ di

When does a word’s past make it too sensitive to use in the present? In contra dancing, there’s a pa

Is there a word you keep having to look up in the dictionary, no matter how many times you’ve looked

If you’re sending out party invitations, what’s a sure-fire way to get hold of everyone? Email? Snai

It’s time for book recommendations! Martha’s enjoying an armchair tour of important places in the hi

Creative communication in a noisy world! Writing a clever 140-character tweet isn’t easy. But you kn

Bathroom walls, missing graffiti, and social media. Where have all the cute quips on bathroom stalls

Gifts for book lovers: Martha recommends one for lovers of libraries and another for students of Spa

When writing textbooks about slavery, which words best reflect its cold, hard reality? Some historia

The language of restaurant menus. Need a dictionary to get through a dinner menu? Research shows the

To transmit information during wartime, various industries used to encode their messages letter by l

What a difference pronunciation makes! The United States has a Department of Defense, and an individ

If you’re on tenterhooks, it means you’re in a state of anxious anticipation or suspense. But what I

Scat Cat - 26 October 2015

2015/10/26

The dilemma continues over how to spell dilemma! Grant and Martha try to suss out the backstory of w

It’s hard enough to get a new word into the dictionary. But what happens when lawmakers get involved

Can language change bad behavior in crowded places? The Irish Railway system has launched an ad camp

What’s in a mascot name? Maybe you’re a fan of the Banana Slugs, or you cheer for the Winged Beavers

The slang coming out of Victorian mouths was more colorful than you might think. A 1909 collection o