A hootenanny, commonly thought of as a party in Appalachia, is also a term for German pancakes. But when you look in the Dictionary of American Regional English, you’ll notice that hootenanny is synonymous with doohickey or thingamajig, and...
When somebody sneezes, we say bless you or gesundheit. But suppose that person coughs. Are you supposed to say something — or are they? Plus, Mexican standoffs, gracious plenty, linguistic false friends, southpaw vs. northpaw, the slang of rabbit...
In New England, a basement can technically be upstairs, since basement is another word for “bathroom.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “New England Basements” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Pam...
If you take a job at an airline, beware if your new co-workers ask you go find them a belly stretcher—they’re playing a practical joke on you. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Belly Stretchers” Curly Price from...
The epizootic is a type of imaginary ailment. You’d know it if you saw it—it’s like the horse kickles, but you don’t break out. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Epizootic” Hello, you have A Way with...