A Kentuckian named Sheila moved out of state for several years, but now that she’s returned to work at Western Kentucky University, she finds that many students no longer seem to have a stereotypically “Southern” accent...
Haddie from Houston, Texas, is curious about the phrase as long as Pat stayed in the Army, which applies to something short-lived. The phrase appears in Kentucky newspapers as early as 1898. No one’s sure who Pat was, although perhaps...
A haiku by Sofia, a 14-year-old in Towball, Texas, celebrates her family members’ hard work during a challenging time. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “A Haiku for Hard Work” Here’s a haiku I really like...
The first-ever “Word by Word” awards were presented by A Way With Words co-hosts Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett as part of a sold-out celebration at the San Diego Natural History Museum. To celebrate its tenth year of independent production...
For language lovers, it’s like New Year’s, Fourth of July, and the Super Bowl all rolled into one: The brand-new online edition of the Dictionary of American Regional English. Martha and Grant explain what all the fuss is about. Plus...
Washateria, a Texas word for a self-service laundry, puzzled Erica in Indianapolis after she moved from Houston and found everyone saying Laundromat. Both words have trademark histories: Laundromat began as a brand name, and a Texas chain called...