700 episodes

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 words@waywordradio.org.

In the US 🇺🇸 and Canada 🇨🇦, call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free 24/7.

In the UK 🇬🇧, 020 3286 5677. In México 🇲🇽, 55 8421 8567. 

Send a voice note or question via WhatsApp, 16198004443.

From everywhere, call or text +1 (619) 800-4443.

Past episodes, show notes, topic search, and more: https://waywordradio.org.
A Way with Words is listener-supported! https://waywordradio.org/donate ❤️ 
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A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over Hosted by Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett. Produced by Stefanie Levine.

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.6 • 28 Ratings

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 words@waywordradio.org.

In the US 🇺🇸 and Canada 🇨🇦, call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free 24/7.

In the UK 🇬🇧, 020 3286 5677. In México 🇲🇽, 55 8421 8567. 

Send a voice note or question via WhatsApp, 16198004443.

From everywhere, call or text +1 (619) 800-4443.

Past episodes, show notes, topic search, and more: https://waywordradio.org.
A Way with Words is listener-supported! https://waywordradio.org/donate ❤️ 
Want to listen without ads? Subscribe here! https://awww.supportingcast.fm

    Loaded For Bear (Rebroadcast) - 18 March 2024

    Loaded For Bear (Rebroadcast) - 18 March 2024

    One way to make your new business look trendy is to use two nouns separated by an ampersand, like Peach & Creature or Rainstorm & Egg or … just about any other two-word combination. A tongue-in-cheek website will generate names like that for you. And: In the traditions of several African countries, names for babies are often inspired by conditions at the time of their birth, like a period of grief or wedding festivities, or the baby’s position when leaving the womb. In Zambia, for example, some people go by the name Bornface, because they were born face up. Also, slang from a rock-climber, who warns not to go near rock that’s chossy. Plus: a proverbial puzzle, loaded for bear, pizey, helter-skelter and other reduplicatives, shirttail relative, counting coup, just a schlook, a brainteaser, and lots more.
    Please fill out our listener survey! It will help us understand you, our audience, which helps make the show better! https://gum.fm/words
    Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org/contact. Be a part of the show: call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; worldwide, call or text/SMS +1 (619) 800-4443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Twitter @wayword. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.
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    • 53 min
    Bronx Cheer - 11 March 2024

    Bronx Cheer - 11 March 2024

    What’s the best thing to say to someone who is grieving? Choosing the right words is far less important than just showing up. Also, a family from Russia shares their recipe for something they call hot tamales, that are very un-Mexican. And: if someone’s trying to be philosophical about a situation, they might say sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. Plus, horsengoggling, a fragrant 16th-century simile, might as well, can’t dance, a puzzle about cryptic crosswords, Trevlac, Québécois French, Pearl at the picnic, avoir l’air d’une vache qui regarde passer un train, a messy pangram, the big bird, and how to pronounce labret.
    Please fill out our listener survey! It will help us understand you, our audience, which helps make the show better! https://gum.fm/words
    Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org/contact. Be a part of the show: call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; worldwide, call or text/SMS +1 (619) 800-4443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Twitter @wayword. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.
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    • 53 min
    Mrs. Astor's Horse (Rebroadcast) - 4 March 2024

    Mrs. Astor's Horse (Rebroadcast) - 4 March 2024

    “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 to share with kids. Plus: an easy explanation for the difference between immigrate with an i, and emigrate with an e. And: The ancient Greeks revered storks for the way they cared for each other. They even had a legal requirement called the Stork Law, which mandated that Greek adults look after their elderly parents. Much later, the same idea inspired a rare English word that means “reciprocal love between children and parents.” All that, plus a brain-busting quiz about scrambled words, Mrs. Astor’s pet horse, dissimilation when pronouncing the word forward, tap ’er light, allopreening, raise the window down, why we call a zipper a fly, and lots more.
    Please fill out our listener survey! It will help us understand you, our audience, which helps make the show better! https://gum.fm/words
    Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org/contact. Be a part of the show: call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; worldwide, call or text/SMS +1 (619) 800-4443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Twitter @wayword. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.
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    • 53 min
    Ghost Runner - 26 February 2024

    Ghost Runner - 26 February 2024

    In Japan, if you want to order a corndog, you ask for an Amerikan doggu (アメリカンドッグ). These types of coinages are called wasei-eigo , or “Japanese-made English,” and there are lots of them. Plus, there’s an atmospheric optical phenomenon that looks somewhat like the aurora borealis, but has a much friendlier name. Scientists refer to these ribbons of color as … Steve. And: need a synonym for the word “conspicuous”? There’s always kenspeckle . Also, nitnoy , faire la grasse matinée , sunday-to-meeting , sana, sana, colita de rana, a codebreaker who solves a years-long mystery, a brain teaser about action-packed metaphors, ghostie , gander’s arch , fluffle , and more.
    Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org/contact. Be a part of the show: call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; worldwide, call or text/SMS +1 (619) 800-4443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Twitter @wayword. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.
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    • 53 min
    At First Blush (Rebroadcast) - 19 February 2024

    At First Blush (Rebroadcast) - 19 February 2024

    Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spanish-language adventure novel, an account of 19th-century dictionary wars, and a gorgeously illustrated book of letters to young readers. Plus, what’s the best language for conveying a heartfelt apology? Ideally, an apology won’t be the end of a conversation. Rather, it will be the beginning of one. Plus, a brain-busting word quiz, snow job, clean as a whistle, high muckety-muck, tip us your daddle, and a wet bird never flies at night, and lots more.
    Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org/contact. Be a part of the show: call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; worldwide, call or text/SMS +1 (619) 800-4443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Twitter @wayword. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 53 min
    Sweet Spot - 12 February 2024

    Sweet Spot - 12 February 2024

    If you’re in a book club, how do you decide what books to read? There are lots of different ways, depending on your group’s goals. And is it ever wise to correct someone who mispronounces a word? Sometimes you have to decide if it’s better to be right–or simply get along. Plus, some research suggests that when presented with photos from nature, humans naturally focus on animals instead of plants. Botanists even have a term for this tendency: plant blindness. Also, tight as a drum, a funny quiz about slightly altered Stephen King titles, sweet spot, lemniscate, kehrätä, mais garde donc, fourth-person pronouns, meronymy, shambles, semantic bleaching, opening lines of Turkish fairy tales, and the business end.
    Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org/contact. Be a part of the show: call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; worldwide, call or text/SMS +1 (619) 800-4443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Twitter @wayword. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 53 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
28 Ratings

28 Ratings

Dkurogawa ,

I love those presenters!

This show has the most fantastic presenters anywhere on the web, I am always blown away with the subtle touches infused in almost every sentence the produced! Waw! Keep the great show going, and I wish you all the best from the Basque Country ; )

Fran-S ,

Underrated

Do not think this is some dry podcast, with boring subject matter only aimed at those die hard linguists. The hosts have fantastic chemistry and are extremely likeable, and the subject matter is talked about with such enthusiasm and knowledge that you cannot help but be fascinated. Not just words, but idioms too - this really is a brilliant podcast.
Also, a great thing is that each episode has its contents detailed in the little info box. This is perfect as there is at least one Americanism in each episode, and those do not interest me. I can easily skip those when I know they're coming up.
Most certainly underrated, and even if you're not a linguist enthusiast (I am certainly not), give it a go if it peaks your interest.

Any Nickname That Is Available ,

For the word lover in everyone

A lovely show, presented with dedication and charm by Martha and Grant. As an American show, it's a great way to better understand our cousins across the pond and to even learn some of the history behind British as well as American English. I learnt my new favourite saying for dealing with, erm, challenging individuals from this show: 'you give them books and you give them books, and all they do is eat the covers.'

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