A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Society & Culture
Surf’s up! When surfers describe the waves as going gangbusters, it’s a great time out on the water. But why that word? Plus, a thesaurus of flavors serves up delicious writing about the taste of foods and spices. And speaking of flavors, the history of vanilla is anything but bland. When the vanilla flavor was introduced to 16th-century Europeans, it was considered a rare delicacy. So why does the expression plain vanilla mean unexceptional today? Also, funny street names, hoorah’s nest, mooch, a quiz chock-full of assonance, traffic-light sundae, lawn jobs, sleigh riding vs. sledding, burn my clothes!, copperosity, sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, and 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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Excuse the Hogs - 11 July 2022
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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