Taghousehold

Thaw vs. Unthaw

A husband and wife have a heated dispute. The topic? Whether thaw and unthaw mean the same thing. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Thaw vs. Unthaw” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Willie calling from Indianapolis...

Yuppies, Dinks, and Silks

We spoke on the show not long ago about yuppies and dinks, but neglected to mention silks: households with a single income and lots of kids. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Yuppies, Dinks, and Silks” We were talking on an earlier...

Hippie Christmas

It might be the grooviest new holiday since Burning Man: Hippie Christmas is the annual festivity surrounding the end of the college school year, when students leave perfectly good clothing and household goods by the curb or the dumpster because...

Children vs. Kids

Is it wrong to refer to children as kids? One discerning mother, when asked about her kids, always replied, “I don’t raise goats, but my children are fine.” Grant explains that as early as the 1600s, the word kids had popped up to refer to bratty or...

Fibber McGee Drawer

What do you keep in your Fibber McGee drawer? That’s what some people call a catchall container for household items. Grant traces the term for the drawer back to the old Fibber McGee and Molly radio comedy. Whenever Fibber had to fetch something...