“Bott’s dots” are little round pavement markers, named for California highway engineer Elbert D. Botts. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Bott’s Dots” Grant, do you know what bots, dots are...
Many public speakers, including President Obama, have developed a reputation for using the reduplicative copula. You know, that thing where he says, “the thing of it is, is…” In wonky speak, this is what happens when a cleft...
When it comes to trail mix, the actual peanuts may just as well be foam packing peanuts—all we really want is the chocolate! But if you’re one of those people who dig for the M&Ms and leave the rest, you might be accused of high-grading. This...
In the Pacific Northwest, the term spendy means “expensive.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Spendy” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Joseph, downtown San Diego. Well, Joseph, welcome to the...
This week, it’s backhanded phrases, those snarky remarks that come sugar-coated in politeness, like “How nice for you,” “Oh, interesting!,” and the mother of all thinly veiled criticism, “Bless her heart.”...
A man who works nights in a mortuary in Brookings, Oregon is curious about the origin of—what else?—graveyard shift. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Etymology of Graveyard Shift” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi...