A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

Mar 24 2025 759 ep. 46 mins 7.3k
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over Podcast artwork

Light-hearted conversation with callers from all over about new words, old sayings, slang, family expressions, language change and varieties, as well as word histories, linguistics, regional dialects, word games, grammar, books, literature, writing, and more.

Be a part of the show with author/journalist Martha Barnette and linguist/lexicographer Grant Barrett. Share your language thoughts, questions, and stories: https://waywordradio.org/contact or [email protected].

• In the US 🇺🇸 and Canada 🇨🇦, call or text 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free 24/7.
• Send a voice note or message via WhatsApp, 16198004443.
• From everywhere, call or text +1 (619) 800-4443.

Past episodes, show notes, topic search, and more: https://waywordradio.org.

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  Society & Culture  Education
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Love Bites (Rebroadcast) - 24 March 2025

Mar 24 2025 53 mins  
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear your instructor speaking in a kind of continuous present, with phrases like Sitting comfortably and Breathing deeply instead of the simple

Wicked Good - 17 March 2025

Mar 17 2025 53 mins  
To grok something means “to understand it completely.” The word grok comes from a language spoken on the planet Mars—well, at least according to the science fiction writer who coined the term! Also, we know the meaning of the word trauma, but is there a word that denotes “the opposite of trauma”? Plus, if someone describes something as “wicked good,” they mean it’s

Lasagna Hog (Rebroadcast) - 10 March 2025

Mar 10 2025 53 mins  
Understanding the varieties of conversational styles can mean the difference between feeling you’re understood and being insulted. “High-involvement” speakers interrupt or talk along with someone else to signal their enthusiasm, while “high-considerateness” speakers tend more toward thoughtful pauses and polite turn-taking. Adjusting your speaking style accordingly may im

Kiss the Cow (Rebroadcast) - 3 March 2025

Mar 03 2025 53 mins  
An anadrome is a word that forms a whole new word when you spell it backwards. For example, the word “stressed” spelled backwards is “desserts.” Some people’s first names are anadromes. There’s the girl named Noel in honor of her father Leon, and the woman named Edna who adopted the name Ande. Speaking of names, know anybody whose occupation fits their name? Maybe a col

Smack Dab - 24 February 2025

Feb 24 2025 53 mins  
A flashlight emits a steady beam of light. So what’s the flash part of that word about? Also, if you’re a nervous Nellie, you’re skittish and indecisive—both characteristics of an American politician who earned that nickname in the 1920s. And, rhinestone: The name of this sparkly fake gem has a history that involves a famous river in Europe. Plus, the many names for toilet

Lead on Macduff (Rebroadcast) - 17 February 2025

Feb 17 2025 53 mins  
For rock climbers, skiers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, the word send has taken on a whole new meaning. You might cheer on a fellow snowboarder with Send it, bro! — and being sendy is a really great thing. Plus: a nostalgic trip to Willa Cather’s’ Nebraska home inspires a reading from one of her classic books about life on the American prairie. And what do they call a sudde

Holy Toledo - 10 February 2025

Feb 10 2025 53 mins  
In 1944, an Italian scientist discovered a drug that he later named for his wife. His wife’s name was Marguerite, but she went by Rita — which is why this now familiar drug is known as Ritalin. Plus, a poem about churning butter shows how a writer can draw astonishing beauty out of the most everyday of tasks. And the exclamation holy Toledo! probably refers to a city thousands

Tribble Trouble (Rebroadcast) - 3 February 2025

Feb 03 2025 53 mins  
In Cockney rhyming slang, apples and pears is a synonym for "stairs," and dustbin lids means kids. Plus, sniglets are clever coinages for things we don't already have words for. Any guesses what incogsneeto means? It's the act of trying to hide your sneeze while wearing a face mask. Also, how the vocabulary of science fiction influences our everyday conversation, from the tribble o

Ring-Tailed Tooter (Rebroadcast) - 27 January 2025

Jan 27 2025 53 mins  
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from your beliefs, then you’re just passing along information. And: if someone says they’re going to plant flags at a gravesite, they may no

Potato Wagon - 20 January 2025

Jan 20 2025 53 mins  
Thunderstorms might sound scary, but playful explanations for all those booms can help reassure little ones: How about the potato wagon’s rolling over the bridge? Or the angels are going bowling? Plus, if you just finished enjoying an audiobook, you might say you’ve read it, but a listener asks if there’s a better word. And: towns with names that are three letters long — or