A news story about the Ho-Hum Bandit has Grant musing about the odd names that law enforcement officers give to criminals at large, usually based on their appearance or behavior, like the Barefoot Bandit, the Mummy Bandit. Or how about the Bad...
It’s a brand-new season of A Way with Words! Grant has big news, too: He’s used up his last Metrocard, packed up his belongings, and moved to the Left Coast. He reports on some features of California language there that are already...
A caller is adamant honorifics should be used to address the President of the United States, as in “President Obama,” never “Mr. Obama.” He thinks it’s disrespectful and divisive when news organizations use “Mr...
Grant reports some etymological news: A recent article in the journal American Speech suggests a new source for the term that means “drunk,” blotto. This is part of a complete episode.
charticle n.— «Well, here’s an equation that editors and designers in newsrooms ranging from small dailies in Oregon to major metros in Florida are increasingly turning to: Chart + article = charticle.…Charticles—as defined by Omaha...
plat rush n.— «The notification that Prescott’s AMA was in a state of Groundwater Mining meant that the amount of water that can be taken out of the ground is capped. Period. But, in Prescott’s case it wasn’t immediate...