A “trade-last,” also known as a “told-last,” is a compliment that’s relayed to the intended recipient by someone else. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Trade-Last” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, it’s Robert Brown from...
A veteran broadcaster recalls a brilliant example of sesquipedalian language. Fifty years ago, he stubbed his foot on the beach and a group of college boys told him to go to his parents and get an anatomical juxtaposition of the orbicular ors...
A listener remembers her mother used to say, “Your Monday is longer than your Tuesday.” This phrase offered a subtle way to notify someone that her slip was showing. Other expressions convey that warning as well, including “Monday comes before...
A Chinese-American says she’s not offended by the term “Oriental,” but she’s been told she should be. Who’s right? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Political Correctness of “Oriental”” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello, this...
A listener in Buford, Georgia, says his mother’s maiden name was Barnett, and reports that he was told that the addition of an “e” to a last name was once an indication that the person was descended from slave families. This is part of a complete...
A North Carolina woman says when she told her friend she had a TL for her, the friend had no idea what she was talking about. She learns that the term is a shortened form of a secondhand compliment also known as a trade-last or last-go-trade. This...