Howdy! Recently we talked about why some puns seem clever, while others fall flat as a pancake. Also, what’s the difference between “luggage” and “baggage”? What do you call someone who doesn’t eat fish? Plus, a royal quiz, “the die is cast,”...
Grant goes through the mailbag, offering answers about the terms “nosy parker,” “out of pocket,” and about whether the word “falsehood” has its origins in medieval garb. He also throws a question out to listeners about what is supposedly a mild...
I’d like to give a shout-out and big ups to our friends and colleagues at KPBS in San Diego, who are still dealing with the raging fires there. So far it seems everyone is safe, but I haven’t heard yet about homes and pets. Bravo to their fine...
We’ve been a little quiet because we didn’t want to start making the fire before the logs were stacked, but the news can now be told: A Way with Words is alive! That’s right: the show will continue, new episodes are already in production, and...
Do you know what a “buffet flat” is? Is it A) a type of shoe you wear to all-you-can-eat dinners, B) a lull in economic growth predicted by Warren Buffet, or C) a squalid apartment found in the Rocky Mountain States? Find out when Grant gives you...
Earlier this summer a word caught my fancy: “gardentoolism.” So I made a slang quiz about it! Transcript of “Gardentoolism (minicast)” Welcome to the summer edition of Slang This, the language quiz from A Way with Words. Welcome to another edition...

