A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Society & Culture
Do you refer to your dog or cat as “somebody”? As in: When you love somebody that much, you don’t mind if they slobber. In other words, is your pet a somebody or a something? Also, for centuries, there was little consistency in the way many English words were spelled. But long before the printing press helped to standardize spelling, powerful historical forces were already shaping how those words looked on the page. Plus, Irish words that are as handy as they are fun to say: bockety, which describes something wobbly, and segotia, a fond term for “friend.” And ship vs. yacht, rope vs. line, The New Yorker vs. the The New Yorker, evening vs. afternoon, how to pronounce hammock, a wild and woolly animal quiz, “talking cheese” in German, and an Iranian-American playwright on the challenges of learning another language.
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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Beside Myself (Rebroadcast) - 6 May 2024
Skookum (Rebroadcast) - 29 April 2024
Electric Soup - 22 April 2024
Life of Riley (Rebroadcast) - 15 April 2024
Blue Dolphin - 8 April 2024
Off the Turnip Truck (Rebroadcast) - 1 April 2024
Gilded Age - 25 March 2024
Loaded For Bear (Rebroadcast) - 18 March 2024
Bronx Cheer - 11 March 2024
Mrs. Astor's Horse (Rebroadcast) - 4 March 2024
Ghost Runner - 26 February 2024
At First Blush (Rebroadcast) - 19 February 2024
Sweet Spot - 12 February 2024
Gift Horse (Rebroadcast) - 5 February 2024
Had the Radish (Rebroadcast) - 29 January 2024
Orange Pigs - 22 January 2024
Abso-Bloomin-Lutely (Rebroadcast) - 15 January 2024
Niblings and Nieflings (Rebroadcast) - 8 January 2024
Book Moth - 1 January 2024
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