Since the 13th century, the adjective wicked has meant “bad” or “evil.” So why do people in New England use wicked as an intensifying adverb to mean “very” or “extremely”? This is part of a complete...
When Sean in New York City contemplated telling his boss he wasn’t coming into work the next day, he texted a friend that he might bang out sick. He wonders about the phrase, which he picked up from his father, a police dispatcher in New York...
The city of Portland, Oregon, where Martha and Grant recently took their live show, owes its name to a coin toss. The city’s founders, Asa Lovejoy of Boston, Massachusetts, and Frances Pettygrove of Portland, Maine, each wanted to name it for...
Johnny or johnny gown, meaning hospital gown, is a term most associated with New England. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Johnny Gown” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Marianne calling from Jackson...
Someone on the dull side might be described as “sharp as a marshmallow sandwich.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Marshmallow Sandwich” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Jess Haberman calling...
“Is it solipsistic in here or is it just me?” That’s one answer to the question: “What’s the most intellectual joke you know?” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Intellectual Jokes” Oh...