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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cherry Bombs (Rebroadcast) - 4 October 2021
Navel Gazing (Rebroadcast) - 27 September 2021
Yak Shaving (Rebroadcast) - 20 September 2021
Mystery Date - 13 September 2021
Today I Learned (#1578) - 6 September 2021
Singing Sand (Rebroadcast) - 30 August 2021
Sour Pickle - 23 August 2021
Baby's Breath (Rebroadcast) - 16 August 2021
Not My Circus - 9 August 2021
Hog On Ice (Rebroadcast) - 2 August 2021
Scooter Pooting - 26 July 2021
Goody Two-Shoes (Rebroadcast) - 19 July 2021
Gold Dance - 12 July 2021
Join us for our video cookout July 14th!
Baby Blues (Rebroadcast) - 5 July 2021
By a Long Shot - 28 June 2021
Walkie Talkie (Rebroadcast) - 21 June 2021
When Pigs Fly - 14 June 2021
Tiger Tail (Rebroadcast) - 7 June 2021
Cool Beans - 31 May 2021
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