A caller fears that the term Indian giver is politically incorrect, and wants an alternative to teach her children. This is part of a complete episode.
Greetings, wanderers, and welcome home. This past weekend on A Way with Words we wrestled with "commentate," "tie me over" vs. "tide me over," long words, and "biweekly" vs. "semiweekly." We also...
A caller asks about how lakes get named, and we talk about a lake with a 45-letter Indian name that may or may not translate as, “You fish on your side, I fish on my side and nobody fishes in the middle.” It’s Lake...
push out rate n.— «The dropout rate, or more accurately the “push out rate,” for Indians is 250 percent higher than it is for the general population.» —“Racism in Indian country” by Dean Chavers Indian...
Indian country n.— «As an embeded journalist in Afghanistan last winter, I traveled hundreds of miles with soldiers through what they refer to as “indian country”—hostile regions teeming with Taliban sympathizers in black...
fartichoke n.— «I love the nutty, earthy flavour of jerusalem artichokes, but there is a reason they are often called fartichokes. A tip from an Indian friend is a trick worth knowing—adding a pinch of asafoetida, or hing, to the...