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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If Grandma Had Wheels - 14 November 2022
Mittens in Moonlight (Rebroadcast) - 7 November 2022
Diamond Dust (Rebroadcast) - 31 October 2022
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Touch Grass - 17 October 2022
Made from Scratch (Rebroadcast) - 10 October 2022
Salad Days (Rebroadcast) - 3 October 2022
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Beefed It (Rebroadcast) - 5 September 2022
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Forty Eleven Zillion (Rebroadcast) - 22 August 2022
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