Julianne in San Diego wondered why people say desert island instead of deserted island. In that phrase, desert keeps an older sense, meaning “wild and uninhabited.” A desert island can be lush and green, like the island in The Swiss Family Robinson...
If you’re on tenterhooks, it means you’re in a state of anxious anticipation or suspense. But what IS a tenterhook? The answer goes back to a 15th-century manufacturing process. Also, you probably have a term for those crumbs that...
Here’s a riddle: What’s green and smells like red paint? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Paint Riddle” Here’s a riddle I got from Eric Berlin, who is a puzzle maker. He posted this on Facebook...
Starting this year, Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants not only have to spell words correctly. A controversial new rule means they’ll have to answer vocabulary questions, too. Also, when it comes to reading text, do you prefer...
In parts of the American South, a can of creasies is a can of watercress salad, also known as salad greens. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Creasies” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Mary Beth Wood. Hi...
Frank in Coronado, California, wondered about bailiwick after hearing an attorney say that something wasn’t his bailiwick. The word combines bailiff with wick, an old term for a farm or village. In Middle English, a bailiff was a public...
