In an earlier episode, we discussed linguistic false friends, those words in foreign languages that look like familiar English words, but mean something quite different. Martha reads an email response from a listener who learned the hard way that in...
Linda from Boonville, New York, grew up puzzled when her Kentucky grandmother promised to be there directly. In much Southern speech, directly can mean “presently,” “soon,” or “soon enough but not right away,” rather than “immediately.” The...
What does the O’ in Irish names like O’Malley or O’Riley mean? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Irish Name “O”” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is John in Dallas. Hello, John...
How’d we get the term colorblind, and when it did come to be mean “indifferent to race”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Etymology of Colorblind” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, how are you...
“I’ll be there at three-ish.” “That shirt is bluish.” “It wasn’t a house— but it was house-ish.” OK, but what in the world does ish mean, exactly? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
How did the term bisque come to mean “an unglazed piece of ceramic work”? Does it have anything to do with the kind of bisque that might be served in a ceramic bowl? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Etymology of...
