In rugby and soccer to kick into touch means to “kick a ball out of play.” The phrase by extension is used in British English mean to “take some kind of action so that a decision is postponed” or otherwise get rid of a...
Nanty narking, also found with nante, was 19th-century British slang for great fun. Lexicographer Jonathan Green suggests that nark may come from an older sense meaning to annoy, while nanty points to nothing, as in Italian niente. The result means...
Creative communication in a noisy world! Writing a clever 140-character tweet isn’t easy. But you know what’s even more impressive? Working all 26 letters of the alphabet into just one sentence! The term for that type of sentence is...
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...
Broken pieces of pottery, commonly known as shards, are also referred to as sherds by professional archaeologists. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Shards and Sherds” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Ben...
Why do the Brits pronounce the H in herbal? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Silent “H” in Herbal” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, guys. This is Kyle calling from Denton, Texas at the University of...