Some of the world’s most famous writers had to support themselves with day jobs. Martha and Grant discuss well-known authors who toiled away at other trades. Also this week Eskimo kisses, the frozen Puerto Rican treat called a limber, how the word...
What came first, the color orange or the fruit? The original term is Sanskrit and refers to the fruit. As the fruit traveled west, the word came with it. Grant notes that, like the terms for parts of the body, the names of colors travel very well in...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a word puzzle called “Blank My Blank.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Blank My Blank Quiz” You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette. And I’m Grant Barrett, and on the line is that...
Who coined supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Gillian. I’m calling from Fort Worth, Texas. How are you? Great...
After a San Diego man used the term Eskimo kiss with his preschooler, they both wondered about its origin. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Eskimo Kisses” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Ryan from San Diego. Hi, Ryan...
“You knucklehead!” Where’d we get an epithet like that? Grant tells the story about the wartime cartoon that helped popularize the term. Check out the adventures of R.F. Knucklehead in LIFE magazine. More about cartoons used for war-time education...
