Why do some people refer to a couch or a sofa as a davenport? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Davenports” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Rachel, and I’m calling from Baraboo, Wisconsin. Well...
Barack Obama wants to put people to work building roads and bridges. But how about a federal jobs program for out-of-work writers? Also: why do we call it a flight of wine? How did the haircut called a mullet get its name?
What do you call the wheeled contraption that you push around the grocery store? Shopping cart? Shopping carriage? Shopping wagon? Buggy? A former Kentuckian wonders if anyone besides her calls them bascarts. Check out this dialect map featuring...
It’s an easy way to separate New Yorkers from non-New Yorkers: Do you stand on line or in line? A Midwesterner who relocated to the Big Apple wants to know why people there are adamant about waiting on line instead of in line. See a map...
The expression “over yonder” isn’t just the stuff of Carole King songs and old-timey hymns. To many Southerners, it’s everyday English. The hosts discuss this poetic-sounding turn of phrase. This is part of a complete episode...
Ever been met with a quizzical look and the question, “Do what?” The hosts discuss this dialectal equivalent of “How’s that?” or “Come again?” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Do What...