Paul in Dryden, New York, says when he lived in Tennessee, he knew that when someone began a sentence with Bless his heart, that phrase would usually be followed by the word but, plus a criticism of that person. Now that he’s living in New York...
Office workers in Richmond, Virginia, are having a dispute: Is the appliance that makes the coffee a coffee pot or a coffee maker? This is a classic case of synecdoche, where a single part—like the pot that holds the hot coffee—is used to refer to...
How do you pronounce moot point? Does it sound like mute, or rhyme with toot? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Mute Point vs. Moot Point” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Stephen from Dallas. Hi, Stephen. How are you...
A Pennsylvania college student remembers playing a game called “Whisper Down the Lane.” She’s surprised to learn that her fellow students call the same game “Telephone.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Whisper Down the Lane” Hi...
In this episode, a listener says his friend Harold likes to do social phoning while driving, so he’s invented a term for mindless calling while in the car. And no, it’s not “car-pe diem.” Also, Martha and Grant also discuss the rules of the road...