Grant shares some familiar proverbs that supposedly arose from African-American English. The book he mentions is Dictionary of American Proverbs by Wolfgang Mieder. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Dictionary of American...
What’s the origin of the expressions “word!” and “word up!”? Grant shares a theory from the book Black Talk by Geneva Smitherman. Here’s that Eighties-era song
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...
Grant shares some diabolically clever crossword clues. Have at ’em: Hula hoop? (3 letters). A city in Czechoslovakia? (Four letters). Want to try more? Check out the clues at Clever Clue of the Month and The New York Times Cute Clues. This is...
Grant shares some favorite bad first lines from novels. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Bad First Lines” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette. And I’m Grant Barrett. Martha, we...
Grant shares an entomological—not etymological— riddle. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Entomological Riddle” Martha, I got another riddle for you. One of these days I’ll stump you. One of these days. Okay. Not...