Be on the lookout for instances to drop this Texas colloquialism: “He didn’t have enough hair on his chest to make a wig for a grape!” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Not Enough Hair To…” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m...
What’s the difference between a lawyer and an attorney? None, really, for most of us. In the past, though, the word attorney could also refer more generally to a person you “turned to” to represent you, regardless of whether that person had legal...
A sign-language interpreter found herself translating the word doldrums. She wonders if it has to do the area of the ocean known by that name. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Doldrums” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is...
A listener from Texas heard an NPR report from Asia in which an interpreter translated a speaker’s words into English as “a whole new ball game.” He wants to know if that’s a literal translation from an Asian language, and if so, is it a reference...
twenty-minute takeout n.— «The “security check” used by the CIA to prepare a detainee for transport on a rendition plane was described to us by one source in the American intelligence community as a “twenty-minute takeout.” His explanation was that...
skiamorph n.— «I wouldn’t call anything with a text interpreter “modern.” It has been clear for more than a quarter of a century that the text interpreter is an unnecessary skiamorph.» —“Re: New beginner in Forth” by John Doty Usenet: comp.lang...
