A listener doing volunteer work in Tempe, Arizona, is puzzled when a co-worker refers to a bottle opener as a church key. This is part of a complete episode.
Take a look back at some notable words and phrases from 2017: Remember path of totality? How about milkshake duck? Also, a committee has to choose a new mascot for a school’s sports teams. They want to call them the Knights, as in the fighters...
The KPBS Radio Reading Service provides audio recordings of daily newspapers for the visually impaired. A volunteer who reads for the service has trouble understanding some of the jargon from the sports pages. Good references for the language of...
It used to be that you called any mixed-breed dog a mutt. But at today’s dog parks, you’re just as likely to run into schnugs, bassadors, and dalmadoodles. Also, if someone has a suntan, you might say he’s brown as a berry. But...
Dear fan and listener, As we look forward to the coming year, "A Way with Words" is finishing its best year ever. We've added new stations, new listeners, and received more letters, calls, and emails than ever. Our show about words and...
funemployment n.— «What most people would call unemployment, Van Gorkom embraced as “funemployment.” While millions of Americans struggle to find work as they face foreclosures and bankruptcy, others have found a silver lining...