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...
Maybe and perhaps are basically synonyms, but perhaps tends to appear in slightly more formal language. Caller Ron from northeastern Wisconsin noticed as much: he grew up saying maybe, yet he sees perhaps in print and on television. It’s not a...
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...
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...
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...