The pronunciation crick of creek is well documented in the Northern Midwest, including Wisconsin and Minnesota, and also appears farther west in the Northwest and parts of California. Sherry in Menominee, Michigan, grew up near Bear Creek...
What’s an oxter? It’s another term for the underarm, primarily used in Northern England, Scotland, and Ireland. A bit nicer than armpit, isn’t it? Oxter can also serve as a verb, as in, “We oxtered him out of the club.” Need another synonym for that...
What are jo-jo potatoes? Starting in the 1960s, fried potato wedges took that name in some Northern states. Jo-jos were often served in restaurants that also made a type of chicken which requires a special type of deep-fat fryer. Jo-jos are simply...
Why do we have piggy banks instead of any other kind of farm animal banks? In Scotland and Northern England, a kind of Middle Ages earthenware container called pygg. Today we fill our piggs, or piggy banks, with coins. This is part of a complete...
Digital timepieces may be changing the way we talk, at least a little. There’s Bob o’clock (8:08), Big o’clock (8:19), and even Pi o’clock. Also this week, what do you call that gesture with your fingers when you want to make an image larger on a...
A Northern California caller discovers that in Britain, an invitation to share a joint doesn’t mean what it does back home. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Sharing a Joint in Great Britain” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this...