If you speak both German and Spanish, you may find yourself reaching for a German word instead of a Spanish one, and vice versa. This puzzling experience is so common among polyglots that linguists have a name for it. • The best writers create...
Step-ins, pull-ons, and drawers are all euphemistic terms for underwear. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Euphemisms for Underwear” Hello, welcome to A Way with Words. Hey, hey, how are you? Excellent, who are we...
Does your vocabulary mark you as old or outdated? Certain words really indicate generational gaps, like chronological shibboleths. For example, are thongs panties or flip-flops? And what do women carry around — a pocketbook, a purse, or a bag? Your...
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...
To some folks, they’re thermals. To others, they’re long underwear. And some folks call them long johns. Are these warm undergarments named after some guy called John? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Long...
In an earlier episode, we speculated about the origin of the phrase go commando, which means to go without underwear. We suggested that it was somehow associated with being “tough as a commando,” gritting one’s teeth through the...