Lisa from Chesapeake, Virginia, says her father used to say good googly moogly! to express surprise, delight, or emphasis. There are several versions of this exclamation, which derives from a catchphrase used by radio DJs in the 1940s and 1950s...
Joseph from Wilson, Wyoming, wonders: Why is subpar, or in other words under par, a good thing in golf but nowhere else? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Subpar vs. Under Par” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is Joseph...
We’ve talked before about surprising local pronunciations of things like towns or streets. A term or pronunciation that distinguishes locals from outsiders is called a shibboleth. The word derives from the biblical story of the warring Gileadites...
Our New York City quiz guy John Chaneski joins us for a punny word quiz. How to play: There’s a pun with a key word missing. You need to fill in the blank. For example, if you don’t pay your e_______, you get repossessed. The answer: exorcist. Get...
A listener in New York City asks: Why do we say yesterday but not yesterweek? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Yesterweek” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, Chris. Hi, Martha. This is Kate calling from New York City. Hi, Kate...
The hell in hello has nothing to do with the Devil’s abode. The word is related to similar shouts of greeting, such as hallo or halloa. Several languages have similar exclamations, such as Swedish hej, which sounds like English hey. This is part of...