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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tribble Trouble (Rebroadcast) - 21 February 2022
Mittens in Moonlight (#1586)
Ring-Tailed Tooter (Rebroadcast) - 7 February 2022
What the Blazes (Rebroadcast) - 31 January 2022
Mudlarking (Rebroadcast) - 24 January 2022
Diamond Dust - 17 January 2022
Sleepy Winks - 10 January 2022
Snaggletooth (Rebroadcast) - 3 January 2021
Like a Boiled Owl (Rebroadcast) - 27 December 2021
Your Two Cents (Rebroadcast) - 20 December 2021
Made from Scratch - 13 December 2021
Deviled Eggs (Rebroadcast) - 6 December 2021
Good Vibrations (Rebroadcast) - 29 November 2021
Salad Days - 22 November 2021
Mystery Drawer (Rebroadcast) - 15 November 2021
Your Imaginary Boyfriend - 8 November 2021
Sock it to Me (Rebroadcast) - 1 November 2021
Beefed It - 25 October 2021
Moon Palace (Rebroadcast) - 18 October 2021
Forty-Eleven Zillion - 11 October 2021
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL