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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Scooter Pooting (Rebroadcast) - 4 July 2022
All That and a Bag of Chips - 27 June 2022
Gold Dance (Rebroadcast) - 20 June 2022
By a Long Shot (Rebroadcast) - 13 June 2022
Familiar Strangers - 6 June 2022
Word Hoard - 30 May 2022
When Pigs Fly (Rebroadcast) - 23 May 2022
Cool Beans (Rebroadcast) - 16 May 2022
You Talk Like a Sausage - 9 May 2022
Love Bites (Rebroadcast) - 2 May 2022
Pushing the Envelope - 25 April 2022
Lasagna Hog (Rebroadcast) - 18 April 2022
Primary Colors - 11 April 2022
Kiss the Cow (Rebroadcast) - 4 April 2022
Deep Fried Air - 28 March 2022
No Cap, No Lie (Rebroadcast) - 21 March 2022
East Overshoe - 14 March 2022
Lead on MacDuff (Rebroadcast) - 7 March 2022
Herd of Turtles - 28 February 2022
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