Wilson in Charleston, South Carolina, stopped using the term conversate after being told it’s not a real word. On the contrary, conversate is well-established in Black English as a verb that suggests speaking in a register that’s warmer, more...
Michael in Papillion, Nebraska, asks: Why do we refer to that adjustable vent that regulates air flow in a home as a register? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Why Do We Call Some Vents Registers?” Hi there, you have A Way with...
Cut a chogi is Korean War-era military slang for moving fast, leaving quickly, or taking a shortcut, as Andre in Indianapolis heard from his father-in-law, such as cutting through a parking lot to get somewhere sooner. The form chogi likely comes...
You dream of writing the great American novel, but to make ends meet, you spend your days writing boring corporate reports. There’s a difference between writing for love and writing for a living — or is there? Does a heyday have anything to do with...
An Indianapolis caller wonders if there’s any difference in meaning between the words scared and afraid. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Scared vs. Afraid” Hi there, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is Brian Traub from...
Being a writer and making a living as a writer are often two different things. Maybe you’re writing poetry at night but by day you’re writing technical manuals or web copy. Journalist Michael Erard, whose day job is writing for think tank, describes...