In this bonus A Way with Words minicast, Martha and Grant look into the myriad stories behind the word cocktail. Does the drink name come from feathers? Horses? Something up a horse’s rump? It’s a weird wandering down etymology lane… This minicast...
Elaine from Boulder, Colorado, wonders: What’s the origin of the slang term to clock someone, meaning to hit them? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “To Clock Someone” Hi there. You have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Elaine calling...
An Austin, Texas, listener says he and his buddies are throwing a baby shower for a dad-to-be, but they’re wondering what to call a baby shower thrown for the father. A man shower? A dad-chelor party? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s puzzle involves social media “books” that rhyme with the name Facebook. For example, Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. the Red Baron, posts on on what fancifully named social media outlet? This is part of a complete episode...
Anyhow and anyways, said at the end of a sentence, are common placeholders that many find annoying. Instead, you might try finishing a thought with “What do you think?” That way, the conversation naturally flows back to the other person. This is...
Should people living with cancer be referred to as cancer survivors? Mary from Delafield, Wisconsin, a breast cancer survivor herself, doesn’t like the term. Nor does Indiana University professor emerita Susan Gubar, who discusses this in an...
