Nominations for Word of the Year 2007 In this episode, Grant offers peek at some expressions he’s nominating for the American Dialect Society’s Word of the Year vote in January. Will it be “w00t,”...
An Indiana listener complains that he can’t stand to hear presidential candidates pronounce the word pundit as pundint. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The Pronunciation of “Pundit” as “Pundint”” Hello, you have...
A Way with Words is starting a brand-new season! Find out what a motorcyclist wears to keep from getting sunburned– is it a do-rag or a dew-rag? A listener wonders “Why is an undesirable task called a g-job?” Martha shares a trick...
A New York City schoolteacher asks, “Why do we call our little finger a pinkie?” and relates his invented etymology. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pinkie, Little Finger, and Auricular: The Names Behind Your...
A caller asks a delicate question about the phrase “blue bark shipment,” a term involving the transport of deceased members of the military. Martha and Grant discuss this puzzling expression and the challenge of tracking down its...
Greetings earthlings! In our latest podcast, Martha muses about the "love dimple." You know, that little dent in your upper lip? It's called a "philtrum." The erotic origins of this word prove once again that etymology is...