When does a word’s past make it too sensitive to use in the present? In contra dancing, there’s a particular move that dancers traditionally call a gypsy. But there’s a growing recognition that many people find the term gypsy...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a puzzle about Broadway show titles—but with a twist. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Broadway Show Puzzle Quiz” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we...
Those little musical interludes on radio programs, particularly public radio shows, go by lots of names, including stinger, button, bumper, and bridge. By the way, the fellow who chooses and inserts them in our show is our engineer and technical...
Come From Away, a new musical about the 7000 passengers whose planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, after the September 11th attacks, is not only a fine piece of theater. It’s also a rich trove of Newfoundland language, including...
It’s time for book recommendations! Martha’s enjoying an armchair tour of important places in the history of our language, and Grant recommends relaxing with books that make great reading for both children and adults. Plus, are you the...
The French have a musical term for paperclip. They call it le trombone. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Le Trombone” Grant, remember when we were talking about the French term for pie chart? Yeah, but I don’t...