Home » grammar » Page 8

Taggrammar

Correcting Grammar Politely

A Little Rock, Arkansas, caller has been going out with a Chinese woman. Her English is pretty good, but he wonders about the most polite way to correct a minor grammar mistake without ruining a new relationship. This is part of a complete episode.

Cut to the Chase

This week: whether cotton-pickin’ is racist, unintentionally funny headlines, whether enormity can simply mean “enormous,” how a person can be “such a pill,” and pandiculation. “It’s good stuff, Maynard...

Collective Names for Plants

Why not have collective nouns for plants, like a “greasing of palms,” or a “pursing of tulips”? Martha shares some others collected on the site of food writer Gary Allen. This is part of a complete episode.

Bad Billboard Grammar

A North Carolina listener reports seeing a billboard that read, “Be Stronger Connected to Your Son.” Bad grammar or good advertising? This is part of a complete episode.

Kentucky Fried Vista

Ciao! In this week's archive episode: If your family has guests over, how do you warn each other if one of you has a stray crumb on the face? Some families do so with the surreptitious code phrase, "There's a gazelle on the lawn."...

The Eagle Has Landed

Howdy, folks! You still have three days to win a brand-new “A Way with Words” iPod Shuffle stocked with our 10 favorite episodes of the show, plus room for much more. To be eligible, take the listener feedback survey: It takes just a...