A listener has a suggestion for a word “a state of dread” or “not wanting something to happen,” and that word is unticipation. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Unticipation” We heard from Alan Friedman, who offered a word that I’m...
Calling from the Greek island of Crete, a retired English teacher named Beth asks about using of amount of instead of number of when it comes to such phrases as the amount of people or the amount of eggs. The traditional distinction is that amount...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski presents a “Take-Off” brain teaser, in which the clue suggests a word that, when the first letter is taken off, reveals a second word. In this case, all the first words begin with the letter N. For example, what two words are...
In our earlier conversation about the term clam, which musicians use to refer to a “missed note” or “musical mistake,” Martha misspoke and said a similar term was used in rowing and sculling. Actually, as many listeners pointed out, that term is...
When an international team of scientists traveled to a research station in Antarctica for six months, the language they all shared was English. After six months together, their accents changed ever so slightly — a miniature version of how language...
What’s the difference between ethics and morality? Between a proverb and an adage? Eli Burnstein’s Dictionary of Fine Distinctions: Nuances, Niceties and Subtle Shades of Meaning (Bookshop|Amazon) helps readers distinguish between such things...
