After several weeks in Hawaii, a South Carolina listener returned curious about the terms aloha and aloha spirit. Founded on ideas of mutual respect among humans and in harmony with nature, the concept of the “Aloha spirit” is so fundamental to...
The tiny guppy, also called the millionfish or the rainbow fish, is named for amateur naturalist and Trinidad school superintendent Robert John Letchmere Guppy. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “How the Guppy Got its Name” You’re...
Where would you find a sports commentator talking about high cheese and ducks on a pond? Here’s a hint: both terms are part of what makes America’s pastime so colorful. • A government official in New Zealand proposes a new, more respectful term for...
Kapai is a Maori term used in New Zealand meaning “good.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Kapai” I met somebody from New Zealand the other day who taught me a Maori word that she grew up with. And it’s kapai. Do you know this? No...
After a San Diego man used the term Eskimo kiss with his preschooler, they both wondered about its origin. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Eskimo Kisses” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Ryan from San Diego. Hi, Ryan...
beachcrosser n.— «So can we say a beachcrosser is someone who daringly blazes a trail in an exploratory way across new beaches? Well, no. Later she writes: “The first Maori to visit Australia were Tuki, a priest, and Huru, a warrior, from the Bay...