Brian from San Diego wonders whether forte, meaning a strength or strong point, should be pronounced as one syllable, “fort,” or two, “for-tay.” The word is skunked: sticklers may object to the common two-syllable pronunciation, but most speakers...
If you’re having a conversation with someone, are you speaking with them, speaking to them, talking to them, or talking with them? A caller wonders what differences, if any, exist among all those expressions. This is part of a complete episode...
Time to solve another linguistic mystery. You’re in a restaurant. You overhear a conversation at the next table. The woman says to her friend, “You know, I just love the taste of joe floggers.” And her dining companion replies enthusiastically, “Joe...
Here's another newsletter from A Way with Words! Who calls baby platypuses "puggles"? Who calls a playground slide a "sliding pond"? Who calls dust bunnies "slut's wool"? You can find out on the brand-new...
Is English is going to hell in the proverbial handbasket? A Wisconsin grandmother thinks so, particularly because of all the ums and you knows she hears in everyday speech. The hosts discuss these so-called disfluencies, including how to avoid them...
Welcome to another newsletter from A Way with Words! This past weekend we listened to the episode which featured "layers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks" and "you buy 'em books, you give 'em books, and all they do is...