Pickle, baboon, cupcake, snorkel, pumpkin, Kalamazoo—let’s face it, some words are just plain funny. But what makes some words funnier than others? Martha and Grant consider this question with an assist from Neil Simon’s play (and movie) The...
If English isn’t your first language, there are lots of ways to learn it, such as memorizing Barack Obama’s speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention. Martha and Grant talk about some of the unusual ways foreigners are learning to speak English...
Martha shares what F. Scott Fitzgerald and Elmore Leonard had to say about exclamation marks. Short version: Neither is a fan. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Author Thoughts on Exclamation Marks” Grant, we were talking earlier...
Martha shares listeners’ responses to an earlier minicast about the Italian-American expression macaroni and gravy. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Listener Macaroni and Gravy” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Grant...
Martha shares listener email about what to call that icy buildup in your car’s wheel wells. Fenderbergs, anyone? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Fenderbergs” A while back we had a call from someone who was asking for a word for...
An Indianapolis woman who grew up in the South says that when her slip was showing, her father used to say, “Who do you think you are, Miss Astor?” Martha shares other euphemisms for slips showing. If someone sidles up to you and says, “Pssssst! Mrs...