Auntie Word Quiz

You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.

I’m Martha Barnette.

And I’m Grant Barrett, and here he is, our quiz guy, John Chaneski.

Hi, John.

Oh, hey, Grant.

Hey, Martha.

Look, it looks like you’re intruding on my family reunion, so…

Oh, sorry.

Look, if you guys don’t want to get thrown out of the place, we better pass you off as family.

Oh, okay, sure.

Look, we’ll say you’re my cousins, but in order to really sell it, you’ll have to greet my aunties, okay?

They’re really, really quirky.

Here’s one now.

Hello, dear. I work at the company that makes Rolaids.

Oh, yeah, that’s right. This is my…

Anti-acid?

Anti-acid, right.

I tell you what, here’s what we’ll do.

Let’s eavesdrop on my aunts and my aunties.

We’ll overhear information about them, and then you’ll have to greet them by name or the jig is up.

Okay.

Oh, boy.

All right, here we go.

Oh, Cousin Grant, Cousin Martha, look who’s here.

I just got back from a six-month stay at a research station at the South Pole.

Well, nice to see you, Antarctica.

Yes, very good. Nice to see you, too.

I’ve just published an article in a journal about the U.S. before the Civil War.

Congratulations, Antebellum.

You’re looking great.

Thank you.

I worked in Alexander Fleming’s laboratory when he discovered penicillin in 1928.

Antibiotic. How nice to see you.

To see you.

What’s the matter, dearies? You look ill. Have you been poisoned? No worries. I have just the thing right here in my purse.

Auntie, don’t. Thank you.

You’re welcome.

Oh, you look so cold, dears. Here, put on this sweater or you’ll get frostbite.

Auntie, freeze. This is a beautiful sweater.

Thank you. You’re welcome. I made it myself.

Hi, I’m back, guys. It’s me.

I’ve just found a purse here, and I’m wondering who it belongs to.

I’ve looked inside, and there are some photos of an archipelago in the Caribbean.

I think it’s my…

Oh, this belongs to Antilles over there.

It’s my Antilles.

Yes, thank you.

I’ll bring it back to her right away.

Oh, dear, I don’t want you to get your hair oil on the back of that chair.

Here, use this doily.

Thank you, Auntie Macassar.

You’re welcome, dear.

Ciao, caginos.

Here, let’s have an appetizer of soppressate and olives and pepperoni and mushrooms and cheese.

Antipasto.

Very nice.

You must visit my shop.

I buy, sell, and collect old and rare books and other objects.

Antique, you’re looking great as always.

Well, I’m mostly known as antiquarian around the shop, but that’s fine.

Antique, my nickname is antique.

Finally, oh, here comes the last one.

Oh, yes, I’m in Belgium now.

I live in a beautiful port city on the River Scheldt.

Antwerp, what’s going on?

Hi, very good.

Okay, guys, that’s all of them.

Now, I was going to introduce you to my auntie social, but she’s actually sort of annoying.

I’ll have to see you next year at the next reunion.

Thanks, John.

We’ll talk to you next week.

John.

See you next week.

Bye.

Bye-bye.

This is a show about words and language and a little bit of goofing off, 877-929-9673.

Email words at wewordradio.org.