What’s the best way for someone busy to learn lots of new words quickly for a test like the GRE? Looking up their origins can help. Or, record yourself reading the words and definitions and play them back while you’re doing other chores. • Book...
Are your nightstand books all over the place? Why not stack ’em into a bookmash? A bookmash is a kind of found poetry formed from book titles! And we all know that honesty is the best policy. But does that mean you should correct the grammar of your...
If a fellow thinks he’s a cooler than he really is, he’d be known in the South as a dirt road sport. This term’s been defined as “a country boy showing off in a Saturday afternoon town,” and refers to someone reaching beyond his station in life...
Howdy! Recently we talked about why some puns seem clever, while others fall flat as a pancake. Also, what’s the difference between “luggage” and “baggage”? What do you call someone who doesn’t eat fish? Plus, a royal quiz, “the die is cast,”...
A listener remembers her mother used to say, “Your Monday is longer than your Tuesday.” This phrase offered a subtle way to notify someone that her slip was showing. Other expressions convey that warning as well, including “Monday comes before...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a word game worthy of the Saturday puzzle called “Cryptic Crosswords.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Cryptic Crosswords Word Game” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Grant Barrett. And I’m...