Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s latest side gig is writing anthems for nations that exist only in his imagi-Nation. For example, what “nation” might celebrate itself with the following stanza? In mathematics, it’s an arrangement of elements into various...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski has crafted a quiz involving a polysyllabic word followed by another word that repeats the last of those syllables twice. For example, suppose the clue is: “When playing a simple game with a toddler, it’s a real...
Taryn in Washington, D.C., wants to know the proper way to pronounce the word museum. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pronouncing “Museum”” Hi, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Taryn. I use they...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski offers a game that involves finding the synonym with the most syllables. For example, one synonym for the word dumb is vacuous. But can you think of another that has five syllables? This is part of a complete episode...
You may pronounce mayonnaise at least a couple of different ways. Although it’s clear the word came into English via French, its origin is a matter of some dispute. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pronouncing...
Reed in Clintonville, Wisconsin, has long insisted that groceries should have an s sound in the middle, while his Montana-raised wife uses sh, as if it were grosheries. Both pronunciations are widespread. Many usage authorities prefer the s...

