What’s the best way for someone busy to learn lots of new words quickly for a test like the GRE? Looking up their origins can help. Or, record yourself reading the words and definitions and play them back while you’re doing other chores. • Book...
On our Facebook group, a listener asks if anyone else’s children have been taught the term fanboy, meaning a coordinating conjunction. These connecting words include f or, a nd, n or, b ut, o r, y et, and s o, and a helpful way to remember them is...
The German word for “mnemonic device” is Eselsbrücke, or literally, “donkey bridge.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Eselsbrücke” We were talking at the top of the show about mnemonic devices. And I love the German word for a...
Comprise is a tricky word, and its usage is in the process of changing. But there’s an easy way to remember the traditional rule: Don’t ever use comprised of. Just don’t. Here’s an example: The alphabet comprises 26 letters. You could also say The...
Is there a word for a word that doesn’t fit its own definition? For example, verb is a noun, and monosyllabic is polysyllabic. Come to think of it, why is it so hard to remember how to spell mnemonic? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript...
Always remember: Martha never ever makes ornery noises in church. That is, of course, a mnemonic for the spelling of “mnemonic.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Mnemonics” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Grant Barrett...