Finally, just in time for holiday get-togethers, Grant and Martha provide some linguistic family therapy to solve a mother-daughter conflict over whether nummy is a legitimate term. Mom says it’s perfect for describing a delicious meal, but...
A caller wonders about the origin of gedunk or geedunk, which means “ice cream” or “a snack bar” where you might buy sweets. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Where Did the Navy Term “Gedunk” for a...
It’s the wacky title of a new book by language enthusiast Elizabeth Little which has Martha and Grant talking about whether Coca-Cola and Chevy ran into cultural translation problems when selling products abroad. Did the Chevy Nova really sell...
A caller wants help understanding a phrase he saw in Sports Illustrated: enough money to burn a wet dog. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Enough Money to Burn a Wet Dog” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is...
A San Diego listener has a weird word on her mind: biffy (meaning “toilet”). This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Biffy for Toilets, Outhouses, and Porta-Potties” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Megan...
Greg Pliska has a quiz about chemical names that should exist but don’t. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Word Quiz: Fake Chemical Elements from Words Ending in -ium” You’re listening to A Way with Words...