The books we love as children may influence our careers more than we realize. As a child, Martha was fascinated with stories of cracking codes, and Grant loved books with glossaries–not that far from the kind of work they do today. A caller from...
The saying “I don’t chew my cabbage twice,” means I’m not going to repeat myself. The ancient Romans, by the way, ate cabbage as a protection against hangovers, but detested the smell of twice-cooked cabbage. This is part of a complete episode...
It’s the business of business jargon. Say you’re in line at the drugstore. Does it bother you if the cashier says, “Next guest”? In department stores and coffeeshops, does the term “guest” suggest real hospitality—or just an annoying edict from...
Some musicians are having a dispute over the word repeat: If the conductor says, “Repeat this section two times,” how many times should they play the passage? Twice? Three times? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Musical Repeats”...
Puzzle Guy John Chaneski presents a quiz called “Repeat After Me.” It’s a quiz that’s neither so-so nor too-too. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Repeat After Me Word Quiz” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette...
pass-back n.— «In the past, Spa GP had used paper tickets, which had to be visually checked by stadium employees as ticket-holders arrived. This process often led to long queues as visitors entered the stadium. Spa GP had also struggled with a...