Katie in the Northwoods of Wisconsin knows jonard as the shame that follows having brought trouble on yourself, not merely an embarrassing accident. It’s connected with Jonah and joner, dialect words for a jinx, a pest, or someone who brings bad...
A man in Surprise, Arizona, wonders why people jumping into a pool sometimes yell “Geronimo!” The history of this exclamation goes back to an eponymous 1939 movie about the famed Apache warrior Geronimo. The film was popular on U.S. military bases...
Is the term military brat a pejorative? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Military Brat” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Bill from San Antonio. Welcome, Bill, from San Antonio? San Antonio, Texas, yes, ma’am. All...
Tyson in Seattle, a counseling student, noticed that older readings refer to teenagers smoking dope, a phrase that to him sounds dated and not quite credible. Dope has had a busy life, referring at various times to hashish, opium, heroin, marijuana...
Rock climbers use the term beta to refer to any information they receive about a route before climbing it. Is it related to beta as in “beta-testing software”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Rock Climbing Beta” Hi, you have A Way...