“I know, right?!” is a friendly way to acknowledge that you understand someone. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “I Know, Right?!” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Julie. Hi, Julie, where are you...
It’s the news from your friends at “A Way with Words”! In our latest episode, we discussed “pore” vs. “pour,” “you’re” vs. “your,” “West Coast” vs. “Eastern...
Everyone knows old ones, but what about modern proverbs? Here’s an aphorism attributed to William Gibson: “The future is already here. It’s just not evenly distributed.” The hosts discuss some others. This is part of a...
What’s happening linguistically when someone’s using the second-person singular possessive in a list of items? A Charlottesville, Virginia, caller began wondering that recently after hearing a wood-flooring salesperson say, “You got your...
Mm-hm, huh, nuh-uh, and a shrugging mm are interjections, also called inserts, vocalisms, or, in conversation, feedback markers. Katie in Bozeman, Montana, noticed that her husband’s little nasal grunt answered “Where’s the dustpan?” clearly enough:...
A die-hard Tyler Perry fan is curious about an emphatic expression she’s heard in some of his movies: Hell-to-the-no. What’s up with the extra words? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Hell-to-the-No” Hello...