Hello, language-lover — A Way with Words an independent nonprofit production, which means it doesn’t get financial support from any radio network or government agency. We do the show ourselves, from top to bottom. We make it, we ship it. We don’t...
A Dallas man says his father, who served in Vietnam, signed letters back home to the family with the phrase “don’t take any wooden nickels.” The hosts explain that this expression means “don’t let anyone swindle you.” This is part of a complete...
Should the sign on the boys’ bathroom at a school read “Boy’s Room” or “Boys’ Room”? The hosts clarify where to put the apostrophe. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Boy’s Room vs. Boys’ Room” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi...
A sign-language interpreter found herself translating the word doldrums. She wonders if it has to do the area of the ocean known by that name. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Doldrums” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is...
This week: whether cotton-pickin’ is racist, unintentionally funny headlines, whether enormity can simply mean “enormous,” how a person can be “such a pill,” and pandiculation. “It’s good stuff, Maynard!”
The sign over the checkout lane says 15 Items or Less. A listener is adamant that it should say 15 Items or Fewer. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Fewer vs. Less” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this is David Taylor. How...