What’s a synonym for “diarrhea of the mouth”? A caller swears she heard the word on an earlier episode, but can’t recall it. The hosts try to help. Tumidity? Multiloquence? Logorrhea? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Diarrhea of...
The hosts discuss Ammon Shea’s recent New York Times Magazine column about whether a large vocabulary filled with obscure and unusual words is all that necessary. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Large, Obscure Vocabulary” You’re...
Does your handwriting look like chicken scratches, calligraphy, or maybe something in between? Martha and Grant discuss the state of penmanship, the phenomenon linguists call creaky voice, euphemisms for going to the bathroom, and the New England...
If you’re having a conversation with someone, are you speaking with them, speaking to them, talking to them, or talking with them? A caller wonders what differences, if any, exist among all those expressions. This is part of a complete episode...
In this week’s installment of Slang This!, a member of the National Puzzlers League tries to separate the real slang terms from the fake ones. Try this one: Which of the following expressions really is a British synonym for the willies, the heebie...
The fur flies when Greg Pliska unleashes a word puzzle involving the names of animals. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Animal Name Word Puzzle” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette. And I’m Grant Barrett, and...