To be roped in can mean simply being persuaded to join in, but it often picks up a hint of reluctance, pressure, or being talked into something. Kathleen in west central Iowa heard it from her son, who was volunteering at an orphanage in Honduras...
A listener from Charlottesville, Virginia, is dating a professional golfer who often plays a Calcutta with other tour members. Calcutta, a betting game going back over 200 years, involves every player betting before the tournament on who they think...
Grant and Martha recently served as expert spellers at the San Diego Council on Literacy’s annual adult spelling bee, but don’t let the age group or philanthropic mission fool you-spelling bees are always i-n-t-e-n-s-e. The word...
What do you eat at a jitney supper? Jitney? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Contents of a Jitney Supper” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Keith from Pendleton, Indiana. Hi, Keith. Welcome to the program...

