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 shore, they...
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 Taylor. How...
A Michigan woman working a study-abroad program at a large university is bemused by the many applicants who write that they want to study overseas so they can be “submerged in the culture.” She thinks there’s a difference between immersed and...
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 back to...

