Grant offers examples from his latest words of the year list, including Crankshaft (the code name for the Osama Bin Laden), and basketbrawl, referring to the fight that broke out between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Chinese National Team. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Crankshaft and Basketbrawl”
Music
There’s nothing I love more than the words of the year season.
I know. For you it’s like Christmas and Arbor Day and Valentine’s all rolled together.
And Dictionary Day.
Yeah.
All rolled into one.
For the words of the year, we look for the words that have kind of risen to the top of the foam of the beer.
The bubbles that go up to the head, right?
That’s beautiful. Yes.
And then we take a big gulp.
Yes.
And so here are just a few of the words of the year that are on my list for all my different purposes, right?
One of them is kind of serious.
Crankshaft.
It was the code name for Osama bin Laden when the soldiers went in and assassinated him.
Oh, it was?
Yeah, crankshaft?
And I think because of the importance of the event, the word itself deserves to be on the list.
Definitely.
Did you see the basket brawl?
I did not see the basket brawl.
B-R-A-W-L?
Is that like handbags at dawn?
Handbags on the green?
People hitting chess?
Yeah.
No.
Well, kind of, actually. Georgetown went to China to play this, I guess it was an exhibition game with a Chinese team.
They had a gigantic fight on the court. Go to YouTube. It’s pretty vivid stuff to watch.
The Hoyas? Oh, my. I didn’t know that.
They’re a classy bunch, but somehow maybe it was jet lag. I don’t know, right?
I’ll have a few more Words of the Year later, but if you want to share some of your Words of the Year candidates,
Send them to me, words@waywordradio.org, or call us on the phone, 877-929-9673.
