A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, listener says when he was growing up, his family used the word schmutz as a verb. For example, when one parent reminded the other to apply sunscreen to the youngsters, they might say, Make sure you schmutz the kids...
Martha reads Walt Whitman’s poem “On the Beach at Night, Alone.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Walt Whitman, “On the Beach at Night, Alone”” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it. I’m...
A bi-coastal listener wonders about the terms West Coast and eastern seaboard. Why don’t we say Californians live on the western seaboard? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Coast vs. Seaboard” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi...
sponging n.— «Bodysurfing, or “sponging” as it’s called by regular boogie boarders, is a lot easier than surfing and a great way to get wet without going too far out to sea (the best waves are usually near the beach).» —“Tech On The...
secret season n.— «This latter half of spring, after the spring breaks have ended, is often called the “secret season” on the coast, because awe inspiring natural delights like these are quite common, but the beaches are generally deserted of...
dugout n. a beach-side shelter for surfers. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)