Reverend William Archibald Spooner was known for transposing sounds, like raising a glass “to our queer old dean” instead of “to our dear old queen.” A caller shares some favorite spoonerisms. This is part of a complete...
Grant and Martha talk more about the challenges dictionary editors face when trying to define numbers and colors. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Defining Numbers and Colors” You’re listening to A Way with Words...
What’s the right way to pronounce gyros? Have you ever heard of feeling poozley? Called something great a blinger? Use the expression one-off to mean a “one-time thing”?
A father looking for the best dictionary for his college-freshman son has practical options. Online, OneLook.com searches references such as American Heritage and Merriam-Webster, while the paid Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged runs about $30 a...
We recommend books that make great gifts for language lovers, talk about footwear called go-aheads, and look further into going commando. Also, was the 2008 election a historic event or an historic event?
We’re continuing our look at some of the words of the year of 2008 with words related to automobiles.