Joan from Dallas, Texas, asks about to wing it, meaning to improvise or proceed with little preparation. The phrase does not come from pilots or flying by guesswork, but from the slang of 19th-century theater. It referred to understudies who learned...
An opera singer from Ontario, Canada, just finished a run of La Faniculla del West with the Virginia Opera. His character is put to death by hanging. Is it correct to say his character was hanged? Or was his character hung? This is part of a...
Two-hander is theater jargon for a play that features just two people. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Two-Hander” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Brian from Dallas calling. Hello, Brian. Welcome. Hi, Brian...
This week: Do you ever find yourself less-than-specific about your age? Listeners share some of their favorite phrases for fudging that number, like: “Oh, I’m 29, plus shipping and handling.” Also in this episode: • Since ancient...
A popular Hindi proverb about blaming everyone but oneself translates as “One who knows no dance claims that the stage is tilted.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Hindi Dance Proverb” Here’s a proverb...
In the late 19th century, Wisconsin newspaperman George Wilbur Peck wrote a series of columns about a fictional boy who was the personification of mischief. The popular character inspired stage and movie adaptations, and the term “Peck’s...
