Lorraine in Syracuse, New York, asks for tips for breaking the habit of saying You know. These linguistic self-interruptions are called disfluencies. You’ll improve your speaking by making sure you know your topic well and are clear about what you...
Some teachers are using a controversial tactic to get young students reading: They let their pupils choose which books to read for class. Does it work? Also, should that line at the grocery store checkout read 15 items or less or fewer? And is the...
A Syracuse woman wonders how bread and butter pickles got their name. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Bread and Butter Pickles” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Allison Parker from Syracuse, New York, and I have a...
chicken riggies n.pl.— «I asked her about a shirt I’d seen in the gift shop that listed something called “chicken riggies” as one of Utica’s claims to fame. She explained that it was a pasta dish—chicken and rigatoni.» —“Beer, There and...
spit take n.— «Nor does he think the public can muster a chuckle for “Danny Thomas doing spit takes. We’re too jaded now.”» —“Success of two new comedies depends on Hanks” by Joan E. Vadeboncoeur Syracuse Herald-Journal (New York) July 18, 1985...
fivehead
n.— «Most people have a forehead, but yours is so high, you’ve got a fivehead.» —“Chiefs’ Musselman is a bullpen bully” by Bob Snyder Syracuse Herald American (New York) Aug. 12, 1984. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
