The word versus can be abbreviated any of several ways. In legal contexts in the United States, it’s usually abbreviated as v., as in Supreme Court decisions on Brown v. Board of Education or Roe v. Wade. In less formal situations, such as sports...
For this week’s brain-stretching puzzle, our Quiz Guy John Chaneski invents some new sports by changing the first letter of a familiar pastime, then changing the rules. For example, in what new favorite sport are you allowed to punish an error by...
What do darts, flubs, and maids have in common? Our Quiz Guy John Chaneski puts it to us in a game of rhymes. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Word Group Rhyme Quiz” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and...
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...
You know those dull sports clichés like “We came to play” and “He left it all on the field”? They’re called bromides. The hosts explain the connection between the tired platitude and the sedative called potassium bromide. The answer involves a book...
Grant shares some slang he’s found while exploring the game of Skee-Ball, including to hit the hundo. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Skee-Ball Slang” Martha, do you remember skee-ball? Skee-ball? Yeah, you go to the fair or the...