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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Cool Your Soup (Rebroadcast) - 10 April 2023
Cats and Dogs - 5 April 2023
Fair Dinkum - 3 April 2023
Put on the Dog (Rebroadcast) - 27 March 2023
Excuse the Hogs (Rebroadcast) - 20 March 2023
By a Landslide - 13 March 2023
All That and a Bag of Chips (Rebroadcast) - 6 March 2023
Big Dog - 27 February 2023
Familiar Strangers (Rebroadcast) - 20 February 2023
Hot Gossip - 13 February 2023
Word Hoard (Rebroadcast) - 6 February 2023
In the Ballpark - 30 January 2023
Old College Try - 16 January 2023
Pushing the Envelope (Rebroadcast) - 9 January 2023
Primary Colors (Rebroadcast) - 2 January 2023
Deep-Fried Air (Rebroadcast) - 26 December 2022
Stub Your Toe - 19 December 2022
Big Bang - 12 December 2022
East Overshoe (Rebroadcast) - 5 December 2022
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