Grant shares some odd high school team mascot names, including the Wooden Shoes and the Battling Bathers. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “High School Mascot Names” Here’s some emails about school mascots. If...
Mike from Manchester, Connecticut, asks about wet behind the ears, meaning inexperienced, and wonders if it has to do with milk trickling behind a nursing baby’s ear. Probably not. A more likely explanation, made clear by Charles Earl Funk of Funk...
Welcome to another newsletter from "A Way with Words"! In our latest episode, we talked about bird names, "like a duck on a June bug," overuse of the word "like," the expression of disbelief "Good night, nurse...
If English isn’t your first language, there are lots of ways to learn it, such as memorizing Barack Obama’s speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention. Martha and Grant talk about some of the unusual ways foreigners are learning to speak...
In honor of the 44th U.S. president, Quiz Guy Greg Pliska offers a word game “Glom-a Obama.” The object: Figure out a series of rhyming two-word phrases by guessing the word to be added to the name “Obama.” For example, if Mr...
The hosts discuss two Obamafications: Obamanation and Obamination. Slate’s book and web widget include many Barack Obama-derived words in Obamamania!: The English Language, Barackafied. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...