Some words and phrases you just love to hate: “Your call is important to us.” “Do I mind if I put you on hold?” And how about those annoying mid-dinner announcements like “This is a courtesy call”? Martha and...
A Charlottesville, Virginia, woman says her husband, a New Yorker, makes fun of her for using the expression might could, as in, “We might could go to dinner later.” The hosts talk about this and other double modals. Incidentally...
Does speaking a particular language make you feel certain emotions? The hosts talk about a blog post by evolutionary biologist Olivia Judson musing about whether this might be true. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Language...
Grant shares more crash blossoms including “Dr. Ruth to talk about sex with newspaper editors.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Dr. Ruth Crash Blossom” Martha, here’s another crash blossom for you...
Grant and Martha discuss strange names for high school sports teams. Know another example? Talk about it in the forum. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Strange Mascot Names” You’re listening to A Way with Words...
The phrase “Let’s talk about how the cow ate the cabbage” means “Let’s talk frankly.” The hosts talk plainly about the naughty tale that may be behind it. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...