A thesaurus, a collection of synonyms, derives its name from the Latin word thesaurus, or literally, “treasury.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Origin of the Word “Thesaurus”” I got a call from...
Why don’t we pronounce the letter b in the word subtle? The word derives ultimately from Latin subtilis, meaning “fine, delicate,” and was adopted into Middle English from Old French as sotil. The b was later added back in so that...
David from Dallas, Texas, grew up hearing his great-aunt use gradoo for a bit of grime, schmutz, or crud. His family assumed it was a family invention, but the word, also spelled gradu, turns up across the South and in scattered spots like...
Choosing language that helps resolve interpersonal conflict. Sometimes a question is really just a veiled form of criticism and understanding the difference between “ask culture” and “guess culture” can help you know how to...
A wingnut is a handy, stabilizing piece of hardware. So why is it a pejorative term for those of a certain political persuasion? Also, is there something wrong with the phrase committed suicide? Some say that the word commit is a painful reminder...
Did you hear about the explosion in the French cheese factory? (If you don’t like puns, brace yourself.) This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “French Cheese Pun” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show...