Whether it’s a Rubik’s cube or a round of Wordle, why do so many of us find puzzles irresistible? A new book celebrates the allure and psychological benefits of brain teasers. Plus, powerful language for talking about the chronic illnesses and...
Susan from Seattle, Washington, has observed her toddler granddaughter starting to exclaim Uh-oh! when something goes amiss. Is that something she picked up from adults, or do adults pick it up from children? By 18 months, children have already...
Joan from Dallas, Texas, wants to know why some people are judgmental about people who speak with a glottal stop in such words as cattle, bottle, or even glottal itself. She noted a commenter on TikTok criticizing a Scottish woman for pronouncing...
Is there a name for those vocal sound we make when shrugging our shoulders or wordlessly affirming something with an “mm-hm”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Guttural Utterances” Oh, hello. You have A Way with Words. Hi, this is...
Bob from Carlsbad, California, asks how Shia and Shiite differ. Shia is a noun for the branch of Islam, and it can also refer to an adherent. Shiite can be a noun for an adherent or an adjective, as in a Shiite community or Shiite belief, but it is...