A Way with Words
@waywordradio.org
Public radio's lively language show! On-air in US, free podcast worldwide. https://waywordradio.org words@waywordradio.org. Toll-free US/Canada 24/7 1-877-929-9673 or https://wa.me/16198004443 #linguistics #etymology #podcast #books #language
Whippoorwills, bob whites, and chickadees. How do we decide the names of birds and what to call their calls? https://waywordradio.org/no-bones/ And lots more in the latest new episode.
November 17, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Whippoorwills, bob whites, and chickadees. How do we decide the names of birds and what to call their calls? https://waywordradio.org/no-bones/ And lots more in the latest new episode.
If you want the inside scoop to Bad Bunny's lingo, there is a book! Grant says it's excellent. los40.us/2025/cant-ke...
Can’t Keep Up With Bad Bunny? Here’s the Dictionary You Didn’t Know You Needed - los40.us
Puerto Rican lexicographer Maia Sherwood Droz has put together a dictionary that breaks down the references Bad Bunny uses.
los40.us
October 6, 2025 at 4:54 AM
If you want the inside scoop to Bad Bunny's lingo, there is a book! Grant says it's excellent. los40.us/2025/cant-ke...
Wuzzle, fuzzle, gnurr, oosse, squatcho and more in the latest new episode! https://waywordradio.org/cat-bristle/
September 15, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Wuzzle, fuzzle, gnurr, oosse, squatcho and more in the latest new episode! https://waywordradio.org/cat-bristle/
New emoji, including "face with bags under its eyes," plus the bug that gives us crimson color: https://waywordradio.org/good-egg-bad-apple/ And tons more in this latest new episode!
September 1, 2025 at 11:25 AM
New emoji, including "face with bags under its eyes," plus the bug that gives us crimson color: https://waywordradio.org/good-egg-bad-apple/ And tons more in this latest new episode!
We had a blast at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival yesterday at the University of San Diego! Thanks to everyone who came out to hear and see us, and to the organizers for such a fulfilling event.
August 24, 2025 at 10:59 PM
We had a blast at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival yesterday at the University of San Diego! Thanks to everyone who came out to hear and see us, and to the organizers for such a fulfilling event.
Hi! Martha and Grant will speak at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival presented by the University of San Diego, Saturday, August 23, University of San Diego campus. Come join the Wayword word nerds and book nerds and RSVP at https://kpbs.org/sdbookfestival @UofSanDiego #KPBSBookFestival
August 14, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Hi! Martha and Grant will speak at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival presented by the University of San Diego, Saturday, August 23, University of San Diego campus. Come join the Wayword word nerds and book nerds and RSVP at https://kpbs.org/sdbookfestival @UofSanDiego #KPBSBookFestival
Martha lays out the story behind "lorem ipsum" and other fun word origins: www.writersdigest.com/7-fun-word-o...
7 Fun Word Origins Every Writer Should Know
Even words have origin stories, and here author Martha Barnette shares seven fun word origins every writer should know.
www.writersdigest.com
August 5, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Martha lays out the story behind "lorem ipsum" and other fun word origins: www.writersdigest.com/7-fun-word-o...
The thousand-year-old love poem — "delight in you is breath together with life" — and more in the latest new episode. https://waywordradio.org/mox-nix/
August 4, 2025 at 12:12 AM
The thousand-year-old love poem — "delight in you is breath together with life" — and more in the latest new episode. https://waywordradio.org/mox-nix/
Reposted by A Way with Words
We're having a live episode with Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social of @waywordradio.org.
She's the author of "Friends With Words", which is full of ripping tales of word histories.
All patrons are invited, even free ones, so click here to find out when.
www.patreon.com/posts/134667...
She's the author of "Friends With Words", which is full of ripping tales of word histories.
All patrons are invited, even free ones, so click here to find out when.
www.patreon.com/posts/134667...
Live episode coming up | Because Language
Get more from Because Language on Patreon
www.patreon.com
July 22, 2025 at 8:59 AM
We're having a live episode with Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social of @waywordradio.org.
She's the author of "Friends With Words", which is full of ripping tales of word histories.
All patrons are invited, even free ones, so click here to find out when.
www.patreon.com/posts/134667...
She's the author of "Friends With Words", which is full of ripping tales of word histories.
All patrons are invited, even free ones, so click here to find out when.
www.patreon.com/posts/134667...
How do catchphrases become popular? https://waywordradio.org/catchphrases-and-how-they-spread/ And more in this new episode: https://waywordradio.org/imaginary-friends-episode-1661/
July 20, 2025 at 11:45 PM
How do catchphrases become popular? https://waywordradio.org/catchphrases-and-how-they-spread/ And more in this new episode: https://waywordradio.org/imaginary-friends-episode-1661/
One kind of visiting fireman paints the town red rather than douses it — that and more in our latest new episode. https://waywordradio.org/eat-my-hat/
June 30, 2025 at 1:53 AM
One kind of visiting fireman paints the town red rather than douses it — that and more in our latest new episode. https://waywordradio.org/eat-my-hat/
In mud eels are / In clay none are / In pine tar is / In oak none is. New episode is: https://waywordradio.org/straight-and-narrow/
June 16, 2025 at 12:10 PM
In mud eels are / In clay none are / In pine tar is / In oak none is. New episode is: https://waywordradio.org/straight-and-narrow/
This one's for the pilkunviilaajat, the comma-polishers. The saltigrade tardigrades. The mothers, the madres, the mères. The other shoe has dropped: https://waywordradio.org/the-other-shoe/
June 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM
This one's for the pilkunviilaajat, the comma-polishers. The saltigrade tardigrades. The mothers, the madres, the mères. The other shoe has dropped: https://waywordradio.org/the-other-shoe/
With forty-eleven social media outfits vying for your time and mental space, there's always home to come back to: we've relaunched the A Way with Words community forum. Come and get some sugar: https://waywordradio.org/community/
May 29, 2025 at 6:47 PM
With forty-eleven social media outfits vying for your time and mental space, there's always home to come back to: we've relaunched the A Way with Words community forum. Come and get some sugar: https://waywordradio.org/community/
Been out sworping lately? https://waywordradio.org/swarping-sworping/ Or run the sweeper (a.k.a. the vacuum)? https://waywordradio.org/sweeping-with-a-vacuum/ Well, a new episode has hove into view: https://waywordradio.org/bean-counting/
May 19, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Been out sworping lately? https://waywordradio.org/swarping-sworping/ Or run the sweeper (a.k.a. the vacuum)? https://waywordradio.org/sweeping-with-a-vacuum/ Well, a new episode has hove into view: https://waywordradio.org/bean-counting/
Eh? What did they say? Let's find out — please help fund audio transcriptions for the entire "A Way with Words" episode back catalog! https://waywordradio.org/transcripts Thank you!
May 13, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Eh? What did they say? Let's find out — please help fund audio transcriptions for the entire "A Way with Words" episode back catalog! https://waywordradio.org/transcripts Thank you!
Starting tomorrow, "A Way with Words" is on the air in Louisville, Kentucky! https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-05-05/new-programs-are-coming-to-wfpl-this-week Tuesday nights at 8 on 89.3 WFPL, Louisville Public Media.
May 5, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Starting tomorrow, "A Way with Words" is on the air in Louisville, Kentucky! https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-05-05/new-programs-are-coming-to-wfpl-this-week Tuesday nights at 8 on 89.3 WFPL, Louisville Public Media.
First and last words, breard and whicken, giving someone down the road, plurale tantem, more on Murphy's law, starnated fool, a pig Latin word game, a sea painter, and tons more in this brand new episode! https://waywordradio.org/honor-bright/
May 5, 2025 at 11:20 AM
First and last words, breard and whicken, giving someone down the road, plurale tantem, more on Murphy's law, starnated fool, a pig Latin word game, a sea painter, and tons more in this brand new episode! https://waywordradio.org/honor-bright/
Good stuff! See the most popular episodes and segments of the radio show and podcast during the last 24 hours: https://waywordradio.org/popular-episodes-and-segments/
April 28, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Good stuff! See the most popular episodes and segments of the radio show and podcast during the last 24 hours: https://waywordradio.org/popular-episodes-and-segments/
A Swiss dish food mystery! https://waywordradio.org/vogelheu/ And lots more in the in the latest new episode: https://waywordradio.org/real-corker/ #language #etymology #podcast #linguistics
April 21, 2025 at 6:30 AM
A Swiss dish food mystery! https://waywordradio.org/vogelheu/ And lots more in the in the latest new episode: https://waywordradio.org/real-corker/ #language #etymology #podcast #linguistics
Fizzy relief headed your way from "A Way with Words": https://waywordradio.org/fizzy-relief-headed-your-way/
April 19, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Fizzy relief headed your way from "A Way with Words": https://waywordradio.org/fizzy-relief-headed-your-way/
The Sam Spade Case: how writer Dashiell Hammett took on Hollywood and shaped modern copyright law https://www.neh.gov/article/how-dashiell-hammett-took-hollywood-and-shaped-modern-copyright-law
April 8, 2025 at 8:54 PM
The Sam Spade Case: how writer Dashiell Hammett took on Hollywood and shaped modern copyright law https://www.neh.gov/article/how-dashiell-hammett-took-hollywood-and-shaped-modern-copyright-law
Do Californians have an accent? A UCLA professor is mapping it out. https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2025-04-02/accent-lingo-valley-girl-ucla-like-essential-california If you're in SoCal, be a part of the language study! https://www.norma-mendoza-denton.com/la-speaks
April 4, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Do Californians have an accent? A UCLA professor is mapping it out. https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2025-04-02/accent-lingo-valley-girl-ucla-like-essential-california If you're in SoCal, be a part of the language study! https://www.norma-mendoza-denton.com/la-speaks
About those North Carolina accents and dialects in "The White Lotus"... languageandlife.org/the-white-lo...
March 31, 2025 at 6:17 PM
About those North Carolina accents and dialects in "The White Lotus"... languageandlife.org/the-white-lo...
"Will you? Won’t you? Can’t I coax you? Aw, c’mon! You said you would! You think you might? You promised me! Won’t your mama let ya, huh?" Maybe Anthony Trollope spawned a catch phrase and lots more in the latest new episode: waywordradio.org/cool-million/
A Cool Million (episode #1654) – A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language
So many books and so little time—it's a challenge to choose what to read next! It helps to remember that so-called "reading mortality" is a fact of
waywordradio.org
March 31, 2025 at 3:04 AM
"Will you? Won’t you? Can’t I coax you? Aw, c’mon! You said you would! You think you might? You promised me! Won’t your mama let ya, huh?" Maybe Anthony Trollope spawned a catch phrase and lots more in the latest new episode: waywordradio.org/cool-million/