Brenna, a nurse in Rapid City, South Dakota, says she was on a hospital elevator full of people and when the doors opened and someone in the back was trying to get off, she piped up with One side or a leg off!, but no one understood that phrase. It...
In the United States, the boxlike contraption that carries passengers between floors in a building is called an elevator. In Britain, it’s called a lift. Clearly, folks in those two countries are just raised differently. This is part of a complete...
Our conversation about the jargon of elevator design and maintenance inspired listener La Donna Ourada to write a moving poem called “Terminal Landing,” about how riding a metaphor can be a metaphor for life. This is part of a complete episode. The...
Door dwell, hoistway, and terminal landing are all terms from the jargon of elevator design and maintenance. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Language of Elevators” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and...
Hyperbolic Headlines Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity!!!! Or maybe not. You’ve seen those breathless headlines on the internet, like “You Won’t Believe What This 7-year-old Said to The President!” They’re supposed to lure you to another...
The elevator doors close, and there’s that awkward silence while you and your fellow passengers wait for the doors to reopen. Is there a word for that silence? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Elevator Silence” Hi there, you have A...
