Maira lives in Puerto Rico and speaks English as a second language. When friends visiting from Minnesota join her at the beach and are ready to swim out into the surf, they say I’m ready to go out. When they’re ready to go back onto the...
Will, a listener from South Burlington, Vermont, says he always considered willy-nilly to be his own special phrase. But he’s realized over the years that its original meaning has been replaced. What was originated as will I, nill I or will he, nill...
The sign over the checkout lane says 15 Items or Less. A listener is adamant that it should say 15 Items or Fewer. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Fewer vs. Less” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is David...
An Indiana woman shudders every time anyone uses the expression comprised of. She wants to know if she’s right that it’s bad grammar, and more important, is she right to be a stickler about it? This is part of a complete episode...
Lynn from mid-Michigan reviews study-abroad scholarship essays and keeps seeing applicants say they want to be submerged in the culture. The word they probably want is immersed: both immerse and submerge can involve being in water, but their...
grass basketball n.— «When Spurrier came into the league, he spread everything out. I think one coach referred to it as grass basketball, where the defenses started spreading. Am I wrong or is style of play offensively kind of reverting...