A Way with Words

Series produced by A Way with Words

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A Way with Words is a national, lively, hour-long public radio show about language, on the air since 1998. Author/journalist Martha Barnette and linguist/lexicographer Grant Barrett take listener calls about slang, grammar, old sayings, word origins, regional dialects, family expressions, and speaking and writing well. There are no carriage fees.

Learn more about the show, its hosts, and its history, and read station and listener testimonials on the A Way with Words website.


203 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Love Bites (#1569)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
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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...

Bought by WYAP, KVSC, WNIN, KTSW 89.9, Tri States Public Radio and more


  • Added: May 10, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Little Shavers (#1538)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
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The word "hipster" might seem recent, but it actually originated in the 1930s, and referred to jazz aficionados who were in the know about the best...

Bought by KTXK, KTSW 89.9, WYAP, Tri States Public Radio, WNIN and more


  • Added: May 03, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Lasagna Hog (#1568)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Understanding the varieties of conversational styles can mean the difference between feeling you're understood and being insulted. "High involvemen...

Bought by KTXK, WSLR, WYAP, WNIN, KTSW 89.9 and more


  • Added: Apr 27, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Bug in Your Ear (#1537)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Is there something inherent in English that makes it the linguistic equivalent of the Borg, dominating and consuming other languages in its path? N...

Bought by WSLR, WYAP, KTSW 89.9, WPCA-LP, KVSC and more


  • Added: Apr 19, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Kiss the Cow (#1567)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
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." So...

Bought by WSLR, KTXK, WYAP, KVSC, KTSW 89.9 and more


  • Added: Apr 12, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
The Black Dog (#1536)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Books were rare treasures in the Middle Ages, painstakingly copied out by hand. So how to protect them from theft? Scribes sometimes added a curse ...

Bought by KTXK, KTSW 89.9, KVSC, WYAP, WSLR and more


  • Added: Apr 05, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
No Cap, No Lie (#1566)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
We take our voices for granted, but it's truly miraculous that we communicate complex thoughts simply by moving our mouths while exhaling. A fascin...

Bought by KTXK, KTSW 89.9, WYAP, KVSC, WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Mar 29, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Beside Myself (#1535)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
The new Downton Abbey movie is a luscious treat for fans of the public-television period piece, but how accurate is the script when it comes to the...

Bought by KVSC, KTSW 89.9, Tri States Public Radio, WNIN, KNVC Carson City Community Radio and more


  • Added: Mar 22, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Lead on, Macduff! (#1565)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
For rock climbers, skiers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, the word "send" has a whole new meaning. You might cheer on a fellow snowboarder with "Se...

Bought by KTSW 89.9, WYAP, KVSC, WPCA-LP, WNIN and more


  • Added: Mar 15, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Skookum (#1534)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
So you've long dreamed of writing fiction, but don't know where to begin? There are lots of ways to get started -- creative writing classes, local ...

Bought by KVSC, WYAP, KTSW 89.9, WNIN, WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Mar 08, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 16
Tribble Trouble (#1564)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
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...

Bought by WYAP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), Tri States Public Radio, WNIN, KNVC Carson City Community Radio and more


  • Added: Mar 02, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 13
Life of Riley (#1533)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after ...

Bought by KTXK, KTSW 89.9, WYAP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WNIN and more


  • Added: Feb 22, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Ring-Tailed Tooter (#1563)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a f...

Bought by WYAP, KTXK, Tri States Public Radio, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Feb 15, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 16
Off the Turnip Truck (#1532)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell sugg...

Bought by KTXK, KTSW 89.9, WNIN, Tri States Public Radio, KNVC Carson City Community Radio and more


  • Added: Feb 08, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
What the Blazes? (#1562)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
What kind of book do people ask for most often in prison? Romance Novels? No. The Bible? No. The most requested books by far are . . . dictionarie...

Bought by KTXK, KAWC / Border Radio - KOFA, WSLR, WYAP, WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Feb 01, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 18
Loaded for Bear (#1531)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
One way to make your new business look trendy is to use two nouns separated by an ampersand, like Peach & Creature . . . or Rainstorm & Egg. A tong...

Bought by WSLR, KTSW 89.9, Tri States Public Radio, WYAP, KTXK and more


  • Added: Jan 25, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Mudlarking (#1561)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
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Twice a day the River Thames recedes, revealing a muddy shoreline. Hobbyists known as mudlarks stroll the surface searching for objects that have f...

Bought by WSLR, WYAP, KTSW 89.9, KMUN, WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Jan 18, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 18
Mrs. Astor's Horse (#1530)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
"What has a head like a cat, feet like a cat, a tail like a cat, but isn't a cat?" Answer: a kitten! A 1948 children's joke book has lots of these ...

Bought by WSLR, KTSW 89.9, WYAP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Jan 12, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 16
Snaggletooth (#1560)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
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? The...

Bought by WGHC-LP 98.3 FM Chicago, WSLR, KTSW 89.9, WYAP, KTXK and more


  • Added: Jan 05, 2021
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
At First Blush (#1529)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spani...

Bought by WSLR, KTSW 89.9, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WYAP, WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Dec 29, 2020
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17

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