Who put the piping in the expression “piping hot”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Piping Hot” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it. I’m Grant Barrett. And I’m Martha Barnette. I love...
What’s a Luddite? Martha explains that this term for “someone resistant to technological change” has its roots in a form of populist rage in the early 19th century. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Luddite” You’re listening to A...
Hey, hey, hey! It's another fat newsletter from "A Way with Words"! We never run out of things to talk about. Take this past weekend's show, for example. We tracked down the history of "Polly wanna cracker." It turns out...
If you work in the software industry, you may already know the term dogfooding, which means “to use one’s own product.” Grant explains how dogfood became a verb. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Dogfooding” Hello, you have A Way...
dark green adj.— «Some environmental funds, for example, only invest in clean-technology companies promoting a cleaner environment; such funds are often known as “dark green.”» —“With ethical stocks struggling, is it time for serious investors to...
weisure
n.— «“Weisure,” Conley’s term for our increasing tendency to work during leisure time, thanks to advances in portable personal technology.» —“Why We Work More For Less” by Gilbert Cruise Time Jan. 9, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)