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

Martha:
Great new digs. Think about it, just a little while ago I had to stop going to church so I could listen to you. And if I slept in, I missed that episode forever. Then I got an I-pod and and now I can listen to you in the middle of the night, while driving to work or even during church. By the way, my ipod is set to replay the same program once it is finished. One night I listened to the same episode 23 times in a state of semi-wakefullness. Then the battery wore down. The episode was the one in which the woman couldn't say "moist". I couldn't believe her the first 10 times, it sounded so bizarre. Then around the 11th replay I heard the sincerety in her voice and the way she giggled when she said "moist" and by the 15th replay the word had become intensely erotic. I want to thank her for that. It's quite an achievement since I'm 74 years old.

But now look at you. You have a fancy new home with many, many rooms. And each room has a different discussion going on. I can see you strolling around your new house with a drink in hand listening in on this conversation, making a passing comment in that one, asking a provactive question in another. You've really come up in the world.

In response to your provocative comment to my URL posting, no, I don't have any business speak "pet peeves." I stopped getting upset about busines speak a long time ago when I realized the "words of wisdom" were being spoken by real people. I am not like George Carlin who hates language that obscures conflict, self-help happy-talk or language that makes hard things seem soft or said to avoid conflict. I suppose I should, but to me it's just people trying to cope, to feel important, or to get ahead in a tough world. In fact, I don't believe we should have to do any work that isn't fun and interesting. Anything a person does to make it more bearable is ok with me.

Love your program.

Garry