Gibberish and its variants aren’t just for goofy teens in the wayback of the station wagon. As Jessica Weiss notes in Schwa Fire, the online magazine about language, people all over the world speak various forms of it. Her article features...
Micah from Texas asks how to explain the difference between speak and talk to someone whose language uses one verb for both. Speak is often the more formal or one-way choice, as in Speaker of the House rather than Talker of the House, and it can...
Tom at UC San Diego missed a meeting after hearing next Thursday, a phrase that can point to the coming Thursday or the Thursday after that, depending on timing and context. In natural conversation, people usually renegotiate dates with a follow-up...
A couple is not necessarily the same as a pair; it can certainly mean more than two, and it’s always dependent on context. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Couple vs. Pair” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Yes...
You’re at a social gathering and meet someone you’d like to know better. What do you ask to get a real conversation going? Some people lead with “What do you do?,” while others avoid talking about work entirely. Still others...
The elevator doors close, and there’s that awkward silence while you and your fellow passengers wait for the doors to reopen. Is there a word for that silence? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Elevator Silence” Hi...