Johanna in Munising, Michigan, has a funny story about a childhood misunderstanding. Guitarists sometimes refer to their instrument as an ax. But at least as early as the 1940s, the slang term ax referred to other instruments, including trombones...
A listener in Southampton, New York, puzzles over the language at the end of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, in which the narrator assures that the story will continue so long as children are “gay and innocent and heartless.” What does heartless mean in...
Our conversation about goofy German antiwitze prompts listeners to send in their own silly jokes. For example: What’s the difference between a duck? A pencil, because a duck has no sleeves! This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Another...
Why does the playground taunt neener, neener, neener have a familiar singsongy melody? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Neener neener neener” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is Brett Barbaro. I’m in San Diego...
There’s an old children’s ditty that goes, “Mama had a baby and its head popped off,” which you sing while popping the top off of a dandelion or similar flower. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Its Head Popped Off” Hello, you have...
We’ve spoken before about “It’ll be better when you’re married,” often used to console someone who just had a small scrape or cut. A Chicago-area listener wrote us to say that in such cases, her mom’s phrase was “Quick, get a spoon!” This is part of...