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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

What do your pronouns say about your own psychological makeup? If you use the word I a lot, does it

If you’re nibbling on slippery Jims or sipping sweet soup, chances are you’re in the Badger State. I

Would you rather live in a world with no adjectives … or no verbs — and why? Also, who in the world

We often hear that English is going to hell in a handbasket. Actually, though, linguistic handwringi

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

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

There’s a new kind of hamburger menu that involves pixels, not pickles. It’s that little stack of ho

It’s the art of constructive feedback: If you’re a teacher with a mountain of papers to grade, you m

Sure, it’s scary to send your writing to a literary agent. But pity the poor agent who must wade thr

You pick up what you think a glass of water and take a sip, but it turns out to be Sprite. What’s th

Why call it a doggy bag when it’s really for your husband? Grant and Martha talk about the language

You walk into a used bookstore, or pull down an old volume at the library, and there it is: The smel

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

Give Now! http://waywordradio.org/donate   Dear friends and listeners, As we near the end of our big

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

It’s the business of business jargon. Say you’re in line at the drugstore. Does it bother you if the

A pint-sized mad scientist, a green-haired girl with a contagious sense of wonder, and a 10-year-old

Some people proudly embrace the label cancer survivor, while others feel that’s not quite the right

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