On a long road trip, Todd from St. Petersburg, Florida, and his son disagree about the phrase Take the next exit, leading to a hilarious dispute over the precise meaning of the word next. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “”Take This...
Linguist Deborah Tannen has done extensive research into contrasting conversational styles, particularly the contrast between high-involvement speakers, whose interruptions signal great enthusiasm and engagement, and high-considerateness speakers...
Think about your last extended conversation with a stranger. Did that conversation feel too long? Too short? Or did it end exactly when you wanted it to? Two new studies by a Harvard psychologist found that conversations rarely stop when both...
Dean from Chadron, Nebraska, notes that people in his area use the term visit to mean “talk with” or “converse,” as in We sat on the porch swing visiting. This usage originated in the American South as far back as the 1860s, then spread throughout...
Scottie in Dallas, Texas, says her grandmother, who was from Mississippi, used to use the term Jack Roses whenever a discussion veered off course. Her family picked up the term, and called it out whenever the course of a conversation changed...
We held our first video streaming event supporting the educational mission of Wayword, Inc., the nonprofit that produces A Way with Words on August 27, 2020. Watch below for a personal conversation about language (of course), books, home life...
