Digital timepieces may be changing the way we talk, at least a little. There’s Bob o’clock (8:08), Big o’clock (8:19), and even Pi o’clock. Also this week, what do you call that gesture with your fingers when you want to make...
Whoever wrote “The Book of Love” neglected to include the handy emoticon <3, which looks like a heart if you turn your head sideways. Grant and Martha talk about how that bit of affectionate shorthand can function as a verb, and about...
Salvete! In this week’s archive episode, we revisit the musical language of railroad conductors’ calls, and chat with a Vietnam vet about a term he often heard while serving, “cumshaw artist.” We also talk about the influence...
What’s the word for the gesture you make with your fingers when you want to make an image larger on an iPhone? Unpinch? Fwoop? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Unpinch” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is...
Mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah… MmmmmWAH! Martha shares the German verb that means to plant one last kiss in a series of them. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “One Last Kiss” So, Grant, I’m reading this book...
Mm-hm, huh, nuh-uh, and a shrugging mm are interjections, also called inserts, vocalisms, or, in conversation, feedback markers. Katie in Bozeman, Montana, noticed that her husband’s little nasal grunt answered “Where’s the dustpan?” clearly enough:...