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Queridos amigos, we have two brand-new episodes to share!
On the air this past weekend we debated, among many other things, whether there was a difference in meaning between gray and grey.
Martha insists that there is and she's not the only one. Grant, on the other hand, agrees with this curious note from the Oxford English Dictionary:
Many correspondents said that they used the two forms with a difference of meaning or application: the distinction most generally recognized being that grey denotes a more delicate or a lighter tint than gray. Others considered the difference to be that gray is a 'warmer' colour, or that it has a mixture of red or brown. [...] As the word is both etymologically and phonetically one, it is undesirable to treat its graphic forms as differing in signification.
Read all of the episode notes every call in the hour and download the MP3.
Two weekends ago, we talked about the wide variety of terms for a heavy downpour, as in raining cats and dogs, pitchforks, hoe handles, bullfrogs, chair legs, ropes, husbands, and we don't know what all.
Besides the weather, we also talked about jacked up, minced, crick vs. creek, names for flash drives, and more, and we stalled our way through a word quiz. Read all about it and download the MP3.
Just Teasing
Here's a tiny screenshot of our new website, which should be launching by the end of June. That's all until you get our email next week!
Bulletin Bulletin Bulletin
• Ray Bradbury's touching note about how a library made a difference for him. "You can imagine how exciting it was to do a book about book burning in the very presence of the hundreds of my beloveds on the shelves."
• We've been ogling authors in their swimsuits.
• Iftah, yaa simsim! @melizzamartinez asked on Twitter about "open sesame." We pointed her to Magic Words: A Dictionary by Craig Conley, who writes about the possibilities. The best seems to be that sesame seeds were associated with magic and power simply because of the value of their natural oil.
"As a pass phrase the words may qualify as the 'worst-kept secret,' but their power has not diminished. [...] The literature attests that open sesame demands respect. It is simply the thing one says when faced with an obstacle."
Here's an 1895 version of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, from which open sesame comes.
And, finally, check out our "open sesame" inquirer's baking blog. Yum!
Peace and love,
Martha and Grant
Photo by
Clearly Ambiguous. Used under a Creative Commons license.
• Ray Bradbury's touching note about how a library made a difference for him. “You can imagine how exciting it was to do a book about book burning in the very presence of the hundreds of my beloveds on the shelves.â€
My first library experience was different, but nonetheless profound. My mother started me reading early, around age 4-5. I clearly recall those sessions, with her helping me sound out the words and progressively building the sentences. We read mostly comic books, borrowed from my uncle. By the time I started school I was reading several grade levels above my peers.
Then one day we ran out of comic books. Reading material was scarce in our blue-collar household. When I asked about getting more to read, she said "Maybe we should get you a library card." I had no idea what she was talking about, but soon learned there was a place called a "library" that had books and magazines you could read without paying for them. What a concept!
We went to the library the next day and she signed me up for a card. This was in a small town in Wisconsin. The library was upstairs in an old building downtown. It wasn't a large library ... maybe 1000 square feet tops, but there were all these rows of shelves with books and magazines free for the asking.
I spent a lot of time there and learned my way around the shelves. Even learned how to use the card catalog. Got to know the librarian on a first-name basis. I told her my interests (science and fantasy at the time) and she would recommend books for me. It was a life-changing experience I'll never forget.
Libraries have changed much since those days in the late 50s. With all the content available electronically now, some wonks have prophesied the "death" of the printed word. I doubt that'll ever come to pass. But on reading Bradbury's missive, I felt compelled to share my own library experience with fellow logophiles here at AWWW.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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