Grant has the latest headlines from the world of language, including the debate over the name of the home of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Is Beijing pronounced bay-JING or bay-ZHING? Also, a recent court decision concerning an offense that’s...
A reader of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential thinks the book is snarky—but what does snarky really mean? This is part of a complete episode.
dirty kitchen n.— «Dirty kitchen (cont.): Actually, that’s the term for a secondary kitchen, often used by Filipinos. As one reader explained to me: “We Filipinos have a small cooking area outside the house where we fry our fish...
Yo, listeners! There’s another online-only podcast from “A Way with Words.” This time, Grant answers questions about the word “agio” from a fellow in Kamloops—learn more about that name, too—and he responds to reader...
Yo, listeners! There’s another online-only podcast from “A Way with Words.” This time, Grant answers questions about the word “agio” from a fellow in Kamloops–learn more about that name, too–and he responds...
tokophobia n.— «Women, obstetricians suggest, are afraid of labor. Block reports that there’s even a new word for it: tokophobia, the fear of giving birth.» —“The Obstetric-Industrial Complex” by Noah...