Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

And in my family one person was to say "Bread and Butter" and the other person was to say "Come for Supper". I have no idea why.

Just wanted to let you know that I've only recently discovered "Way With Words" from someone who posted about it on an AOL message board. I started listening to your most recent podcast on iTunes and a smile came to my face when I heard the term "bread and butter." It brought back wonderful memories of my mother who passed away 24 years ago. She would say that if we were walking somewhere and something came between us...another person, a pole, a tree, whatever. I never did ask her what it meant though! We are from Wisconsin, if that makes any difference!

So, thanks for the smile and memory and thanks for a very interesting show!!!

And for what it's worth, I think website and webpage should be one word, even if my spellcheck doesn't think so. What does it know? It thinks spellcheck should be two words too!

My granddaughter and I were watching a 1956 “Popeye” cartoon (which is also available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0av3fmr0sDc).
At it's end, it intimates that “bread and butter” is a superstition while Popeye goes back and goes past the pole on the same side as Olive.

Enjoy the video.

Emmett Redd

The first time I heard this phrase was a clip of an old movie starring Ronald Regan! In the clip he was walking down the street with a young girl (appropriate since he was young at the time), and they walked on either side of a street lamp. I don't remember whether the girl or Regan said "bread and butter."

Hi Martha,

Sorry. I don't remember the name of the movie. As I recall what I saw was just a clip on a documentary about Reagan. I took a look through his filmography and was unable to identify which film it might be.

Scott