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.
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Clever Clogs (Rebroadcast) - 24 May 2021
Love Bites - 17 May 2021
Little Shavers (Rebroadcast) - 10 May 2021
Lasagna Hog - 3 May 2021
Bug in Your Ear (Rebroadcast) - 26 April 2021
Kiss the Cow - 19 April 2021
The Black Dog (Rebroadcast) - 12 April 2021
No Cap, No Lie - 5 April 2021
Beside Myself (Rebroadcast) - 29 March 2021
Lead on, Macduff! (#1565)
Skookum (Rebroadcast) - 15 March 2021
Tribble Trouble - 8 March 2021
Life of Riley (Rebroadcast) - 1 March 2021
Ring-Tailed Tooter - 22 February 2021
Off the Turnip Truck (Rebroadcast) - 15 February 2021
What the Blazes? - 8 February 2021
Loaded for Bear (Rebroadcast) - 2 February 2021
Mudlarking - 25 January 2021
Mrs. Astor's Horse (Rebroadcast) - 18 January 2021
Snaggletooth - 11 January 2021
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