Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a take-off puzzle involving the letters V and W. Each sentence clues two words, one of which has lost either a V or a W. For example, what two words does the following sentence suggest? He plugged his guitar into the...
It’s Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s annual wrap-up of the year in limerick form. For example, a notable news story from 2019 is suggested by this rhyme: In China the scientists croon / A triumphant spacefaring tune / They’re fans of Pink Floyd / Or so I...
Martha reminisces about her family’s mountain roots while dipping into the delicious vocabulary of Southernisms found in The Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English. When ya’ll listen to this one, you’ll find out what a “cackleberry” is — and why you...
Oh, yes, it’s time for another podcast, this one featuring a slang quiz on the word “phonemarking.” Transcript of “Phonemarking (minicast)” Welcome to the summer edition of Slang This, the language quiz from A Way with Words. Our family tends to...
In our latest online-only episode, Martha’s been putting together a collection of your favorite collective nouns and Grant joins her to swat around a caller’s question about what to call a game of tennis when you have only three players. “Canadian...
A Way with Words is a lively hour-long public radio show about language, on the air since 1998. Co-hosts Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett delve into word histories, solve grammar disputes, give and answer quizzes, and take calls from listeners...