Hello from your friends at AWWW! In our latest episode, we talked about idiosyncratic rules for Scrabble, the origins of the terms "picket lines" and "hooch," plus why actors "go up" on their lines and what we mean when...
A Dallas listener is struck by the fact that Texans talk about East Texas, North Texas, South Texas, and West Texas. So why, she wonders, do people in other states say things like Southern Indiana and Northern California? This is part of a complete...
The phrases “Well, I swan!” and “Well, I swannee!” are genteel substitutes for swearing. Where do those phrases come from? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “I Swannee!” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Wally from New...
Everybody has a nickname, and there’s usually a story to go with it. Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behind them. Also, is the expression “heebie-jeebies” anti-Semitic? And is there a better word than retiree for someone...
A Southern California woman says she was caught up short when she enthused, “It’s the bomb,” and a 12-year-old had no idea what she was saying. Does our slang need to change as we grow older? Why do we say “the bomb”? This is part of a complete...
A caller wonders why his North Carolina-born partner uses the phrase “I’d have liked to” instead of “I almost” or “I nearly,” as in “I’d have liked to died laughing.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Southern Phrase “I’d Have Liked...