A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Society & Culture
If someone urges you to spill the tea, they probably don’t want you tipping over a hot beverage. Originally, the tea here was the letter T, as in “truth.” To spill the T means to “pass along truthful information.” Plus, we’re serving up some delicious Italian idioms involving food. The Italian phrase that literally translates “eat the soup or jump out the window” means “take it or leave it,” and a phrase that translates as “we don’t fry with water around here” means “we don’t do things halfway.” Also: a takeoff word quiz, why carbonated beverages go by various names, including soda, coke, and pop; fill your boots, bangorrhea, cotton to, howdy; milkshake, frappe, velvet, frost, and cabinet; push-ups, press-ups and lagartijas; the Spanish origin of the word alligator, don’t break my plate or saw off my bench, FOMO after death, and much 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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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
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