A Way with Words

Series produced by A Way with Words

Series image

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.


221 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Pizza Bones (#1624)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
What's in a name? If your last name is Cook or Smith, your ancestors probably worked in those professions. But what if your last name is Pope? Or A...

Bought by WYAP, WNIN, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WHCP-LP Cambridge, KVSC and more


  • Added: Sep 18, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 14
Bottled Sunshine (#1512)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
If you catch your blue jeans on a nail, you may find yourself with a winklehawk. This term was adapted into English from Dutch, and means "an L-sha...

Bought by KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], RADIOLEX, WYAP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WNIN and more


  • Added: Sep 11, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Endless Summer (#1623)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Surf's up! When surfers describe the waves as going gangbusters, it's a great time to be out on the water. But why describe surf conditions that wa...

Bought by KTSW 89.9, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], RADIOLEX, WYAP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio) and more


  • Added: Sep 04, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 18
Care Package (#1511)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Sending someone a care package shows you care, of course. But the first care packages were boxes of food and personal items for survivors of World ...

Bought by KTSW 89.9, WYAP, RADIOLEX, WGCU, WNIN and more


  • Added: Aug 28, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 19
Cootie Shot (#1510)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Perfect sentences and slang that tickles your mind. A new book of writing advice says that a good sentence "imposes a logic on the world's weirdnes...

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


  • Added: Aug 20, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 16
Sticky Wicket (#1622)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Is listening to an audio-book for your book club somehow "cheating"? While some argue there's no substitute for engaging with the printed page, oth...

Bought by KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], KTSW 89.9, WYAP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WNIN and more


  • Added: Aug 14, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 16
Ding Ding Man (#1509)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
In 1803, a shy British pharmacist wrote a pamphlet that made him a reluctant celebrity. The reason? He proposed a revolutionary new system for clas...

Bought by KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WYAP, WNIN, WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Aug 07, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Gleam in Your Eye (#1621)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
A remarkable new documentary explores the world of amateur and professional mermaiding and the language bubbling up within it. Some mermaiding enth...

Bought by KAWC / Border Radio - KOFA, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], WPCA-LP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WNIN and more


  • Added: Jul 31, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Take Tea for the Fever (#1508)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Silence comes in lots of different forms. In fact, says writer Paul Goodman, there are several kinds: There's the noisy silence of "resentment and ...

Bought by KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], RADIOLEX, WPCA-LP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), KTSW 89.9 and more


  • Added: Jul 24, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Alligator Mouth (#1620)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Kinbank is a new database that illustrates the global diversity of family terms. English, for example, specifies sibling relationships with just on...

Bought by KTSW 89.9, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WNIN, WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Jul 17, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Sun Dog (#1507)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
A clever pun can make the difference between a so-so phrase and a memorable one. The phrase "the last straw" refers to an old fable about too many ...

Bought by KAWC / Border Radio - KOFA, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], RADIOLEX, WYAP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio) and more


  • Added: Jul 10, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 18
High Jinks (#1619)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
For many people, religion provides language and rituals for key milestones in life, from births to weddings to funerals. But what if you don't asc...

Bought by KTSW 89.9, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], WYAP, WHCP-LP Cambridge, RADIOLEX and more


  • Added: Jul 03, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Oh For Cute (#1506)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
A stereotype is a preconceived notion about a person or group. Originally, though, the word stereotype referring to a printing device used to produ...

Bought by KAWC / Border Radio - KOFA, KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], WPCA-LP, WYAP, WNIN and more


  • Added: Jun 26, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 19
Coinkydink (#1505)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Sometimes it's a challenge to give a book a chance: How many pages should you read before deciding it's not worth your time? There's a new formula ...

Bought by KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WNIN, RADIOLEX, WYAP, WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Jun 19, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 18
Spinning Cookies (#1618)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
A book of photographs and essays by famous writers celebrates libraries--and the librarians who changed their lives. Plus cutting doughnuts, spinni...

Bought by WYAP, RADIOLEX, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), Red River Radio Network (E. Texas/Louisiana/Arkansas/Mississippi), WPCA-LP and more


  • Added: Jun 12, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Up Your Alley (#1504)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Martha and Grant have book recommendations, including a collection of short stories inspired by dictionaries, and a techno-thriller for teens. Or, ...

Bought by WYAP, RADIOLEX, KTSW 89.9, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WHCP-LP Cambridge and more


  • Added: Jun 05, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 18
Just Skylarking (#1617)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
The art of the invitation can be tricky. If you want someone to join your group on an outing, it's important to state it clearly. Otherwise, the in...

Bought by KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WPCA-LP, WYAP, RADIOLEX and more


  • Added: May 29, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Piping Hot (#1503)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
The game of baseball has always inspired colorful commentary. Sometimes that means using familiar words in unfamiliar ways. The word "stuff," for e...

Bought by KTAL-LP [Las Cruces Community Radio], RADIOLEX, WYAP, KTSW 89.9, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio) and more


  • Added: May 22, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 18
Folding Money (#1616)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
Barbara Kingsolver's book Demon Copperhead is a retelling of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield set in today's Appalachia. Martha shares memories o...

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


  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17
Mimeographs and Dittos (#1502)
From: A Way with Words
Series: A Way with Words
Piece image
How colors got their names, and a strange way to write. The terms "blue" and "orange" arrived in English via French, so why didn't we also adapt th...

Bought by RADIOLEX, KECG, WYAP, KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio), WNIN and more


  • Added: May 08, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 17

Playlists That Feature This Series: