TagFalse friend

Norwegian Tann Paste

In an earlier episode, we discussed linguistic false friends, those words in foreign languages that look like familiar English words, but mean something quite different. Martha reads an email response from a listener who learned the hard way that in...

Detergent False Friend

Martha shares listener email about linguistic “false friends,” those perplexing words in other languages that look like English words, but mean something completely different. A case in point is the detergent popular in the Middle East called...

Australia and Austria

The names Australia and Austria are awfully similar. Is it a coincidence? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Australia and Austria” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, Martha. This is Sendel Rivallery in Chicago, Illinois. Sendel...