A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Society & Culture
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be in the dictionary and why — including words that might offend Victorian sensibilities. Also why are some words more pleasurable to say than others? And: the German saying that means "If Grandma had wheels, she'd be a bus." Did something get lost in translation? Plus, an alliterative brain teaser, ovoviviparous, wasper, crack shot, the dessert called buckle, the best term for an adult child, disdainful words for weak coffee, the kind of hairpin I am, proctor vs. proctologist, the smoky jungle frog otherwise known as Leptodactylus pentadactylus, 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.
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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
You Talk Like a Sausage (Rebroadcast) - 23 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
Snookums and Snicklefritz - 28 November 2022
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