A Burlington, Vermont, man says his mother and grandmother used the expression journey proud to denote being restless, nervous, or excited, especially on the eve of an upcoming trip. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Journey...
Edward from Indianapolis asks about scarf as in “You really scarfed that down,” meaning someone ate fast and greedily. This verb is unrelated to the garment word scarf; it likely came into English through Scots dialect. Earlier forms include scoff...
A second-generation Mexican-American wonders how much the English language is being influenced by Spanish, especially after a misunderstanding when he turned to his date in the passenger seat and asked if she wanted to “get down.” This...
Bavarian Chalet. Mushroom Basket. Moose Point. Who in the heck comes up with the names of paint, anyway? Must be the same people who get paid to give names like Love Child, Sellout, and Apocalypse to shades of lipstick. Martha and Grant discuss...
The third edition of Bryan Garner’s book, Modern American Usage is now out. Grant explains why it’s a wonderful reference to consult, even when you disagree with it. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Modern...
It’s a brand-new season of A Way with Words! Grant has big news, too: He’s used up his last Metrocard, packed up his belongings, and moved to the Left Coast. He reports on some features of California language there that are already...