Americans pronounce the letter Z like “zee,” while those in other English-speaking countries say “zed.” That’s because Noah Webster proposed lots of Americanized pronunciations and this is one of the few that stuck...
Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese term for walking around in the woods that literally means “a forest bath” is a beautiful descriptor for what a hike should be—an opportunity to stroll through nature and wash off the stress of everyday life...
How did the word gay go from meaning lighthearted to homosexual? Also, why are elementary schools sometimes called grammar schools? Plus, imeldific, gone pecan, random Scrabble words, and the difference between borrow and lend. And the etiquette of...
How do sports idioms translate to other languages in cultures where the sport isn’t popular? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Foreign Sport Idioms” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Jay. I’m...
If an older man and woman spend lots of time together, going to family gatherings and the like, but they’re NOT dating, what do you call their relationship? Best friends? Dear friends? Or . . . something else? And a marathon runner who’s...
Do you take a decision or make a decision? Generally, Americans make decisions, while the British may do either. Take and make in this situation are what are known as light verbs, meaning they don’t add much to the sentence, since you could...