Grant and Martha talk about new and unusual language. If something has you puzzled or mystified, you’re metagrobolized. If you’re speaking voice sounds like grunting, you’re said to be gruntulous. And what does spox mean? It’s journalistic slang for...
Some foreign idioms involving color have been adopted whole into English. A case in point: French bête noire. Literally, it means “black beast,” and it’s used figuratively now in English to mean anything particularly disliked or avoided. This is...
Does sanction mean “a penalty” or “an approval”? Well, both. Martha explains the nature of contranyms, also known as Janus words. Here’s an article about them in the periodical Verbatim. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Contranyms”...
A Marine stationed in California says that growing up in North Carolina, he understood the expression fixin’ to or fixing to to mean “to be about to.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Fixin’ To” Hello, you have A Way with Words...
A West Point graduate says he and fellow members of the military use the expression He has seen the elephant to mean “He’s seen combat.” Grant explains that this expression originated outside the military. This is part of a complete episode...
What does nonplussed mean, exactly? Does it mean “unflappable” or “at a loss.” Martha and Grant disagree about its use. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Nonplussed” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is Terry calling...
