A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Society & Culture
Crossword puzzles are a marvelous mental workout. A delightful new book about them shares plenty of crossword lore and puzzle-solving tips. Also, performers who tell each other break a leg aren’t really hoping someone gets hurt. The phrase stems from an old superstition that involves saying the opposite of what you really wish. And: is conversate a real word? You bet it is! Prepare for some serious conversating about this very useful term. Plus, the origin of quesadilla, kill two birds with one stone vs. feed two birds with one seed, touch base vs. touch bases, the different impact of short stories and novels, no te comas el coco, in bocca del lupo, you ate that haircut!, and a brain teaser about itsy-bitsy anagrams that’ll leave your mind feeling pulled through a knothole backwards.
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
Snookums and Snicklefritz - 28 November 2022
Herd of Turtles (Rebroadcast) - 21 November 2022
If Grandma Had Wheels - 14 November 2022
Mittens in Moonlight (Rebroadcast) - 7 November 2022
Diamond Dust (Rebroadcast) - 31 October 2022
Sleepy Winks (Rebroadcast) - 24 October 2022
Touch Grass - 17 October 2022
Made from Scratch (Rebroadcast) - 10 October 2022
Salad Days (Rebroadcast) - 3 October 2022
Funny Papers - 26 September 2022
Your Imaginary Boyfriend (Rebroadcast) - 19 September 2022
Go Bananas - 12 September 2022
Beefed It (Rebroadcast) - 5 September 2022
What in Tarnation - 29 August 2022
Forty Eleven Zillion (Rebroadcast) - 22 August 2022
Blue Streak - 15 August 2022
Mystery Date (Rebroadcast) - 8 August 2022
I Don't Have the Spoons - 1 August 2022
Sour Pickle (Rebroadcast) - 25 July 2022
Not My Circus (Rebroadcast) - 18 July 2022
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