To secrete means “to produce and discharge a fluid,” a back-formation from secretion. But a similarly spelled verb means “to deposit in a hiding place.” For both verbs, the pronunciation of the past tense, secreted, requires a long e in the middle...
Is it okay to use the term hospitalized? A journalist says a professor taught him never to use the term because it’s unspecific and reflects laziness on the part of the writer. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Do the verb phrases share out and explain out have a special, nuanced meaning in the worlds of business and education? Or are they jargon to be avoided? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Business and Educational Jargon”...
Quiz Master John Chaneski has a game about professions that match their respective verbs. What, for example, does a tutor do? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Professions as Verbs Quiz” You’re listening to A Way...
Have you heard chick used as a verb? Runners and triathletes use it to refer to a female passing a male in a race, as in You just got chicked! This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Chick Verb” I recently came across the word...
What’s an oxter? It’s another term for the underarm, primarily used in Northern England, Scotland, and Ireland. A bit nicer than armpit, isn’t it? Oxter can also serve as a verb, as in, “We oxtered him out of the club.” Need another synonym for that...
