Add blow a gasket to your list of Downton Abbey anachronisms. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Historical Anachronism” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Yes, good afternoon. Hi, who’s this? This is Julio Tierno...
Our American Cousin, the farce being performed when President Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre, had some choice lines of bumpkin talk. One of them, “You sockdologizing old man-trap!,” was the play’s biggest laugh line...
Why do so many Americans think British accents automatically connote intelligence? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Accent Implying Intelligence” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and...
Think you know Downton Abbey? Try using the Up-Goer Five Text Editor to describe the plot using the thousand most common words in English! Your description probably won’t sound much like the Dowager Countess. This is part of a complete episode...
Can ordinary also mean “crude” or “crass”? This usage was more common in previous generations, but it is still acceptable. It’s also the source of ornery, meaning “combative” or “crotchety.” This...
What does it mean if someone’s on a still hunt? This hunting term, for when you’re walking quietly to find prey, has been conscripted by the political world to refer to certain kinds of campaign strategies. This is part of a complete...