A Winter Dictionary (Bookshop|Amazon) by Paul Anthony Jones includes some words to lift your spirits. The verb whicken involves the lengthening of days in springtime, a variant of quicken, meaning “come to life.” Another word, breard, is an old term...
Residents of Martha’s Vineyard look forward each year to the arrival of pinkletinks, little frogs that herald the arrival of spring. Elsewhere, they’re called spring peepers, tinkletoes, and pink-winks. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript...
In Japanese, sakura means “cherry blossom.” When the spring wind blows through the blooming trees, you have a sakura-fubuki 桜吹雪 or “cherry blossom snowstorm.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Sakura-Fubuki” Music In Japanese, the...
Martha reads the poem “Instructions on Not Giving Up” by the poet Ada Limón. Used with permission. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “”Instructions on Not Giving Up,” a Poem” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about...
Following up on our talk about regional terms for a small, raised section of road, such as tickle bump and belly-tickler, Martha shares a passage from The Guardian Angel by Oliver Wendell Holmes, which references another term for that kind of bump...
If you don’t have anything nice to say, say it like Shakespeare: Thou unhandsome smush-mouthed mush-rump! Thou obscene rug-headed hornbeast! The Shakespeare Insult Generator helps you craft creative zingers by mixing and matching the Bard’s own...
