Martha Barnette
@marthabarnette.bsky.social
Co-host, “A Way with Words” public radio show
USA TODAY bestselling author, FRIENDS WITH WORDS: ADVENTURES IN LANGUAGELAND
marthabarnette.com
#etymology #writing #books #words @wayword
USA TODAY bestselling author, FRIENDS WITH WORDS: ADVENTURES IN LANGUAGELAND
marthabarnette.com
#etymology #writing #books #words @wayword
Pinned
“A Way with Words” Is “Car Talk” for Lexiphiles
Scouting for words to talk about is a constant effort, but it comes naturally to the radio show’s co-hosts, a writer in love with so-called dead languages and a linguist with an ear for contemporary s...
www.newyorker.com
I think this lovely article in The New Yorker by the lovely Comma Queen herself is still the best intro to what we do on the radio show. A wee oasis in the midst of other gnarly news.
Well, THAT’s a nice little bit of good news amid all the other mishegoss! Friends with Words made USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Booklist last week. Huzzah!
November 11, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Well, THAT’s a nice little bit of good news amid all the other mishegoss! Friends with Words made USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Booklist last week. Huzzah!
Taking my own damn escalator ride! See y’all tonight in Lexington!
October 30, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Taking my own damn escalator ride! See y’all tonight in Lexington!
Word Nerdery alert: Come peep us at the South Burlington Library in VT tonight!
October 28, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Word Nerdery alert: Come peep us at the South Burlington Library in VT tonight!
What a light, what a life. 💔
Susan Stamberg, a Longtime Voice of NPR, Is Dead at 87
www.nytimes.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:15 PM
What a light, what a life. 💔
Hey, book lovers in the South! I’ll be there this weekend, in conversation with @stefanfatsis.bsky.social to talk about his new book and mine. Join us! #friendswithwords 📚
We’re less than 3 weeks away from the 37th annual Southern Festival of Books! The author list is up, the schedule has been posted, and we couldn’t be more excited🤩 Will we see you there? Find out more: sofestofbooks.org
#Booksky
#Booksky
October 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Hey, book lovers in the South! I’ll be there this weekend, in conversation with @stefanfatsis.bsky.social to talk about his new book and mine. Join us! #friendswithwords 📚
I somehow missed “groksucker” until just now.
“Clanker” is a derogatory term used to insult AI products such as delivery robots, therapist chatbots and automated servants. Our future robotic overlords might take, writes Sarah Ogilvie.
Is it okay to say clanker?
Artificial intelligence won’t be offended by this new slur. But our future robotic overlords might take a different view
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
September 25, 2025 at 6:07 PM
I somehow missed “groksucker” until just now.
Looking forward to chatting with Spain’s largest English speaking talk radio station shortly!
On Hannah Murray's TRE in the Afternoon from 16.00CET - Karen Walrond's 'In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur', @marthabarnette.bsky.social's 'Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland', and Freddie Lamb's weekend sport round up
September 22, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Looking forward to chatting with Spain’s largest English speaking talk radio station shortly!
My book makes this Arkansas library’s “Most Requested” list. Yay #libraries and #books! 📚👓
At the library | Hot Springs Sentinel Record
Top 5 requests
www.hotsr.com
September 19, 2025 at 8:28 PM
My book makes this Arkansas library’s “Most Requested” list. Yay #libraries and #books! 📚👓
Super-fun interview on WORT-FM about my mom, playing the Pink Panther theme, how Ritalin was named, and my upcoming appearance in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 26! www.wortfm.org/martha-barne...
Martha Barnette on Words, Teaching, and Her New Book - WORT-FM 89.9
Martha Barnette joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss her new book Friends with Words, her radio show A Way with Words, and why language matters.
www.wortfm.org
September 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Super-fun interview on WORT-FM about my mom, playing the Pink Panther theme, how Ritalin was named, and my upcoming appearance in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 26! www.wortfm.org/martha-barne...
So much fun to chew the fat with y’all! 🙏🏼
We had a great time talking with @marthabarnette.bsky.social of @waywordradio.org about her new book "Friends With Words". And she helped us with some of our toughest listener questions! It's a free episode for everyone.
Video: www.patreon.com/posts/video-...
Audio: www.patreon.com/posts/audio-...
Video: www.patreon.com/posts/video-...
Audio: www.patreon.com/posts/audio-...
Video 125: Friends With Words (live with Martha Barnette and friends) | Because Language
Get more from Because Language on Patreon
www.patreon.com
September 13, 2025 at 1:16 AM
So much fun to chew the fat with y’all! 🙏🏼
I’m so looking forward to signing #FriendswithWords and meeting other book lovers at this festival next month!
Sandy from Humanities Tennessee stopped by the store earlier this week to give us the good news in person — the Southern Festival of Books is on for 2025!!
September 4, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I’m so looking forward to signing #FriendswithWords and meeting other book lovers at this festival next month!
Thanks, @npr, for choosing #FriendswithWords as your Book of the Day!
‘Friends with Words’ is a book about language, from word origins to regional dialects : NPR's Book of the Day
For Martha Barnette, griping about grammatical pet peeves is one of the least interesting ways to talk about language. Instead, the co-host of the radio show “A Way with Words” says she’d rather think...
www.npr.org
September 3, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Thanks, @npr, for choosing #FriendswithWords as your Book of the Day!
Word of the Day: struthonian, or “Tending to ‘hide one’s head in the sand.”
Struthonian
An invention of the late Arthur Koestler, <em>Struthonian</em> is extremely rare but not quite defunct.
www.worldwidewords.org
August 26, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Word of the Day: struthonian, or “Tending to ‘hide one’s head in the sand.”
Come hang out with @grantbarrett.com and me tomorrow, 11:30 a.m, Main Stage. I’ll sign my new book afterwards! 📘
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 23, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Come hang out with @grantbarrett.com and me tomorrow, 11:30 a.m, Main Stage. I’ll sign my new book afterwards! 📘
What a fun, uplifting night with the hosts of @dailybeanspod.com! @benitezzzz.bsky.social and I are still laughing …
Was an honor to bring up @dgcomedy.bsky.social at the Diversionary Theater, and wonderful to see @marthabarnette.bsky.social and her lovely wife!
August 16, 2025 at 6:32 PM
What a fun, uplifting night with the hosts of @dailybeanspod.com! @benitezzzz.bsky.social and I are still laughing …
Reposted by Martha Barnette
How to find public radio stations in the US that need funding, now that public broadcasting funding has been stopped.
adoptastation.org
adoptastation.org
Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media
Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.
adoptastation.org
August 11, 2025 at 12:29 PM
How to find public radio stations in the US that need funding, now that public broadcasting funding has been stopped.
adoptastation.org
adoptastation.org
Where do you get yr audiobooks? Asking for a FRIENDS WITH WORDS, which drops today!😁(Didja know you can support indie bookstores by getting ‘em from Libro.fm?)
August 12, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Where do you get yr audiobooks? Asking for a FRIENDS WITH WORDS, which drops today!😁(Didja know you can support indie bookstores by getting ‘em from Libro.fm?)
Oh, Michael. To have this kind of praise from a linguist and writer I admire so much—who wrote the book on polyglots, no less—leaves me . . . well, wordless. Seriously. Thank you so much! I’m bowled over.
I want to congratulate @marthabarnette.bsky.social on her brand new book, Friends with Words: Adventures in Language Land.
I recommend it! You should buy it and read it, gift it to your friends who think they know everything and also those who know nothing at all.
A thread of appreciation --
I recommend it! You should buy it and read it, gift it to your friends who think they know everything and also those who know nothing at all.
A thread of appreciation --
August 11, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Oh, Michael. To have this kind of praise from a linguist and writer I admire so much—who wrote the book on polyglots, no less—leaves me . . . well, wordless. Seriously. Thank you so much! I’m bowled over.
I’m so looking forward to this tomorrow! Pour a cup of coffee or whatever and join me at 6 a.m. Pacific Time for a chat with these fine folks.
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
August 9, 2025 at 1:24 AM
I’m so looking forward to this tomorrow! Pour a cup of coffee or whatever and join me at 6 a.m. Pacific Time for a chat with these fine folks.
Hey, thanks @nypost.com! Glad FRIENDS WITH WORDS made your list of this week’s buzzy books! 🐝📘 #friendswithwords #abramsbooks
The best new books to read: Top releases, updated weekly
Each week, The Post compiles the buzziest new books. Have a look at our favorite titles in recent weeks. This week’s best new books The Hounding: A Novel Xenobe Purvis (Henry Holt and Co…
nypost.com
August 8, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Hey, thanks @nypost.com! Glad FRIENDS WITH WORDS made your list of this week’s buzzy books! 🐝📘 #friendswithwords #abramsbooks
Right back at you, sir! Let’s do it again sometime.
One of the most charming conversations I have had on the show. @marthabarnette.bsky.social
Friends with Words: Martha Barnette on Dialects, Slang & the Joy of Language | Road Gang Radio
YouTube video by RadioNemo
youtube.com
August 8, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Right back at you, sir! Let’s do it again sometime.
Every language lover should subscribe to @fritinancy.bsky.social “s newsletter. I always learn something from it— several things, usually. And I’m not sayin this just because of this generous review of my new book!
I rarely think about the Roman Empire. But the ancient Greeks are another story (or three).
Featuring reviews of new books by Jay Heinrichs and @marthabarnette.bsky.social.
fritinancy.substack.com/p/the-greeks...
Featuring reviews of new books by Jay Heinrichs and @marthabarnette.bsky.social.
fritinancy.substack.com/p/the-greeks...
The Greeks and me
Hellenism is everywhere, including in two new books about language and persuasion.
fritinancy.substack.com
August 7, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Every language lover should subscribe to @fritinancy.bsky.social “s newsletter. I always learn something from it— several things, usually. And I’m not sayin this just because of this generous review of my new book!
Loved having a total nerd-out yesterday with one of the smartest interviewers I know!
Martha Barnette, co-host of the popular radio show and podcast “A Way with Words,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her love of language and all the myriad ways words bring us joy.
The joy of being a word nerd - Think
Martha Barnette, co-host of the popular radio show and podcast “A Way with Words,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her love of language and all the myriad ways words bring us joy.
think.kera.org
August 6, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Loved having a total nerd-out yesterday with one of the smartest interviewers I know!