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PODCAST

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

Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett. Produced by Stefanie Levine.

Fun conversation with callers from all over about new words, old sayings, slang, family expressions, word histories, linguistics, dialects, word games, books, literature, writing, and more. Be on the show with author/journalist Martha Barnette and linguist/lexicographer Grant Barrett. Share your thoughts, questions, and stories: https://waywordradio.org/contact or words@waywordradio.org. In the US and Canada, call or text 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free 24/7. Send a voice note or message via

society & culture language learning

All Episodes

53:45

Mudlarking (Rebroadcast) - 24 January 2022

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2022/01/24

Twice a day the River Thames recedes, revealing a muddy shoreline. Hobbyists known as mudlarks stroll the surface searching for objects that have found their way into the river over the centuries, everything from ancient Roman jewelry to modern wedding rings. A new book about mudlarking describes the irresistible appeal of searching for treasures and the stories behind them. Also, why do performers whisper the phrase toi, toi, toi to wish each other well backstage before a show? And, what’s the

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53:45

Diamond Dust - 17 January 2022

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2022/01/17

Diamond dust, tapioca snow, and sugar icebergs — a 1955 glossary of arctic and subarctic terms describes the environment in ways that sound poetic. And a mom says her son is dating someone who’s non-binary. She supports their relationship, but still struggles to use their preferred pronouns in a way that feels natural to her. Plus, A Way with Words is a show about language, right? How the word “right” contains a multitude of meanings. And: echar un coyotito, voluntold, autological words, stay

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53:45

Sleepy Winks - 10 January 2022

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2022/01/10

It was a dark and stormy night. So begins the long and increasingly convoluted prose of Edwards Bulwer-Lytton’s best-known novel. Today the annual Bulwer-Lytton Contest asks contestants for fanciful first sentences that are similarly convoluted and over-the-top — often with hilarious results. Plus: George Orwell’s prescient novel 1984 gave us the terrifying image of Big Brother and helped popularize words like doublespeak and Orwellian. And is there a word for fallen snow while leaves still remain

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53:45

Snaggletooth (Rebroadcast) - 3 January 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2022/01/03

Many of us struggled with the Old English poem “Beowulf” in high school. But what if you could actually hear “Beowulf” in the English of today? There’s a new translation by Maria Dahvana Headley that uses contemporary language and even internet slang to create a fresh take on this centuries-old poem — right down to addressing the reader as Bro! Also, what’s a word for feeling desperately lonely, but also comfortable in your solitude? And: the story of the word nickname. Plus laundry

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53:45

Like a Boiled Owl (Rebroadcast) - 27 December 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/12/27

What’s it like to hike the Pacific Crest Trail all the way from Mexico to Canada? You’ll end up with sore muscles and blisters, and great stories to tell. Along the way, you’ll also pick up some slang, like NoBo, SoBo, Yo-yo and Hike Naked Day, an annual event that’s pretty much what it sounds like. Plus, which came first, the color orange or the fruit? And if you have a pain in the pinny, what part of your body hurts? Also, a brain-busting puzzle, qualtaagh, media naranja, tougher than a boiled

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53:45

Your Two Cents (Rebroadcast) - 20 December 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/12/20

Astronauts returning from space say they experience what's called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe offers a similar change in perspective — along with some fascinating language. Plus, different names for a delicious drink: one part lemonade, one part sweet tea. A famous golfer loved it. And why do we say that's my two cents after offering an opinion? Would it be

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53:45

Made from Scratch - 13 December 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/12/13

Enthusiastic book recommendations! Martha’s savoring the biography of Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century explorer, polymath, and naturalist who revolutionized our understanding of nature and predicted the effects of human activity on climate. Grant’s enjoying A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, about how the study of DNA is rewriting our understanding of history itself. And a customer is startled when a salesperson waves goodbye with a friendly Preesh! Is Preesh really a word you might

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53:45

Deviled Eggs (Rebroadcast) - 6 December 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/12/06

Some TV commercials launch catchphrases that stick around long after the original ads. The exclamation Good stuff, Maynard! is still a compliment almost 40 years after it was used in a commercial for Malt-O-Meal hot cereal. And: what do you call that room where the whole family gathers? The family room? The den? The TV room? Names for that part of a home go in and out of fashion. Also, if you’re suffering from writer’s block, try going easy on yourself for a while. Sometimes a writer’s imagination

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53:45

Good Vibrations (Rebroadcast) - 29 November 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/11/29

Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when a dog runs into you and knocks you over. This bit of slang was inspired by a professional wrestler who finished off his opponents in a similar fashion. And, if you’re vibing with someone, you’re getting along just great. The idea of vibing goes way back in history, and is well

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53:45

Salad Days - 22 November 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/11/23

A documentary film called My Beautiful Stutter follows youngsters at a summer camp specifically for stutterers. It’s a place for finding acceptance, support, and confidence for navigating the larger world. And:, “The High Priestess of Soul,” Nina Simone, was one of the most beguiling performers of all time. A beautiful new picture book for children tells her inspiring story. Plus: burritos! Why do those savory stuffed tortillas have a name that literally translates as “little donkey”? Also, gobble

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53:45

Mystery Drawer (Rebroadcast) - 15 November 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/11/15

Amid court-ordered busing in the 1970s, a middle-school teacher tried to distract her nervous students on the first day of class with this strange assignment: find a monarch caterpillar. The result? A memorable lesson in the miracle of metamorphosis. Plus, the story behind the slang interjection word!, meaning “believe me!” The original version involved the idea that a person’s word was their bond. And the expression empty wagons make the most noise suggests that the person who boasts the loudest

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53:45

Your Imaginary Boyfriend - 8 November 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/11/08

We use the term Milky Way for that glowing arc across the sky. But how people picture it varies from culture to culture. In Sweden, that starry band goes by a name that means “Winter Street,” and in Hawaii, a term for the Milky Way translates as “fish jumping in shadows.” And: the history of naming rooms in a house. Some old houses have a room off the kitchen with only a sink and cabinets. It’s not a kitchen, exactly — but what’s it called? Plus, the colorful flag of one European town features a

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53:45

Sock it to Me (Rebroadcast) - 1 November 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/11/01

In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter doesn’t pour the pine,” an outfielder may snag a can of corn, or “an easily caught fly ball.” And the 1960s TV show “Laugh-In” spawned lots of catchphrases, such as Sock it to me and You bet your sweet bippy. Don’t know them? Well, Look that up in your Funk &

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53:45

Beefed It - 25 October 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/10/25

The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes a decision to do something, only to discover later that no one really wanted to do that thing in the first place? There’s a term for that! Plus, the sounds we make when we’re simply passing the time or waiting a few seconds for something to happen. It can sound

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53:45

Moon Palace (Rebroadcast) - 18 October 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/10/18

What happens in a classroom of refugee and immigrant youngsters learning English? Their fresh approach to language can result in remarkable poetry — some of which is collected in the anthology England: Poems from a School. Also, new language among healthcare professionals: the term cohorting describes the act of grouping patients with COVID-19 in designated facilities. But what’s the word for reintegrating them into the general patient population after treatment. Decohorting, maybe? Finally, who can

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53:45

Forty-Eleven Zillion - 11 October 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/10/11

When there’s no evening meal planned at home, what do you call that scramble to cobble together your own dinner? Some people apply acronyms like YOYO — “you’re on your own” — or CORN, for “Clean Out your Refrigerator Night.” Plus, when a barista hands you hot coffee in a paper cup, you may get a zarf to put it in — but what is that? And, the ongoing search for an alternative to the term senior citizen, and lots more. Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and

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53:45

Cherry Bombs (Rebroadcast) - 4 October 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/10/04

An ornithologist says there’s a growing movement to change the name of a pink-footed bird currently called the flesh-footed shearwater. The movement reflects a growing understanding that using flesh-colored for “pink” fails to acknowledge the full range of human skin color. Plus, is hooligan an anti-Irish slur? Some people might perceive it that way, but originally the word itself simply referred to the name of a particular gang in London. Finally, book recommendations to keep our minds and hearts

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53:45

Navel Gazing (Rebroadcast) - 27 September 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/09/27

In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city's youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of Charlotte's Web. Plus, you may think navel-gazing is a relatively new idea -- but it goes back at least to the 14th century, when meditating monks really did look like they were studying their bellies! Also, why don't actors in movies say goodbye at the end of

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53:45

Yak Shaving (Rebroadcast) - 20 September 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/09/20

There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished in Shakespeare’s writing. Plus, why do we refer to an unpredictable person as a loose cannon? The answer lies in the terrifying potential of a large weapon aboard a warship. And when a delivery driver’s wife teases him about cavorting with strumpets, he

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53:45

Mystery Date - 13 September 2021

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers... ·

2021/09/13

A librarian opens a book and finds a mysterious invitation scribbled on the back of a business card. Another discovers a child’s letter to the Tooth Fairy, tucked into a book decades ago. What stories are left untold by these forgotten, makeshift bookmarks? Also: a “cumshaw artist” is the wily member of a military unit who knows the shortcuts of procuring something for all their buddies, whether it’s food or a borrowed vehicle for the evening. Plus, a handy Russian saying translates as “the circus

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