The English word rhinestone is a loan translation of French caillou du Rhin, or literally “Rhine pebble,” because these sparkly fake gems were first cut from rock crystal found in the Rhine River. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
If your name is too difficult for the employees at Starbucks to accurately write on the side of a coffee cup, we suggest you take on a coffee-nym. Can’t go wrong with Elvis. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Coffee-nyms” It seems...
There’s no definite rule for putting the apostrophe “s” after names like Liz or Alex when talking about Liz’s wedding or Alex’s school, but we know for certain that most people say, and write out, the possessive “s.” This is part of a complete...
Our Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a name game for famous folks who could use a different surname because of their trade. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “New Famous Surnames Quiz” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about...
In 1958, when Elvis Presley joined the Army, some adoring fans sent a letter to President Eisenhower begging him not to let them shave The King’s sideburns. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Saving Elvis’s Sideburns” Here’s another...
Someone should write a love letter to a new book called Letters of Note. It’s a splendid collection of all kinds of correspondence through the ages: Elvis Presley fans writing to the president, children making suggestions to famous cartoonists, a...