A Way with Words

A Way with Words A Way with Words is a lively radio program and podcast about language! Join us! Its mission is to change the way you think about language.
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A Way with Words is a fun and funny public radio program and podcast about language examined through history, culture, and family. The program is heard by broadcast and podcast across the United States and around the world by more than a half-million listeners each week. It's produced by Wayword, Inc., a nonprofit whose mission is to promote lifelong learning, better human communication, and the value of a thing well-said or well-written. Call or write with your language questions at any time: (877) 929-9673 (toll-free in the US and Canada) or just email us: [email protected].

New episode! Bird names are wild, and so is music-based code-smuggling. https://waywordradio.org/secret-code/ It's not a...
08/31/2026

New episode! Bird names are wild, and so is music-based code-smuggling. https://waywordradio.org/secret-code/ It's not a bunch of bowl!

“Are we ready to order yet?” Why do restaurant servers use the word “we” when they’re not eating with you or helping you pay the bill? And a story of Cold War intrigue: A young saxophone player’s…

Our co-host Martha Barnette reads aloud “Cornbread,” a poem by Kentucky writer Silas House. It is thick with sensory mem...
08/21/2026

Our co-host Martha Barnette reads aloud “Cornbread,” a poem by Kentucky writer Silas House. It is thick with sensory memories of Appalachian cooking and family.

“Cornbread,” a poem by Kentucky writer Silas House, is thick with sensory memories of Appalachian cooking and family: scooping cornmeal by hand and “the splash of egg, the gallop of buttermilk.

Love! Martha helps Reader's Digest with tennis language:
08/19/2026

Love! Martha helps Reader's Digest with tennis language:

If you don't know love from a let, or a grand slam from a walkover, we've got you. Here's the history behind all those strange tennis terms.

The most highly rated emoji used by antiquities curators, such as amphora 🏺, classical building 🏛️, and castle 🏰:
08/18/2026

The most highly rated emoji used by antiquities curators, such as amphora 🏺, classical building 🏛️, and castle 🏰:

In a series of recent social media posts, curators at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles are rating the best variations on art-adjacent emojis.

Using forensic linguistics to examine the notes in the Nancy Guthrie case
08/18/2026

Using forensic linguistics to examine the notes in the Nancy Guthrie case

Forensic linguistic analysis of two recently released emails may shed light on who abducted the mother of Today Show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Twenty years ago, two big, wonderful things happened to me.
08/17/2026

Twenty years ago, two big, wonderful things happened to me.

Two big, wonderful things happened in 2006 that changed my life: I married my wife, Sarah, and I joined A Way with Words. That’s basically two marriages. I say that because a marriage is about a…

Seems like everybody has a term for mutts! “Texas brown dogs,” “pavement specials,” “potcakes,” and lots more in this ne...
08/17/2026

Seems like everybody has a term for mutts! “Texas brown dogs,” “pavement specials,” “potcakes,” and lots more in this new episode of the radio show/podcast: https://waywordradio.org/apple-turnover/ Including a lovely poem by Kentucky writer Silas House.

Critters, co-workers, and clothes: What do you call your favorite mixed-breed dog? There are Heinz 57 mutts and Texas brown dogs in the U.S., while in parts of the Caribbean they’re called potcakes…

Wordhunting: A “velocity marriage” is a scam in which someone rushes romance and marriage talk to get fast and/or early ...
08/16/2026

Wordhunting: A “velocity marriage” is a scam in which someone rushes romance and marriage talk to get fast and/or early access to the victim's money. Source:

The Velocity of Romance: Inside the Multimillion-Dollar Marriage Fraud Rings Targeting Vulnerable Men. It happens in St. Louis, MO, as well.

Wordhunting: “emotional support noise” is background TV, music, or radio that keeps you company without demanding attent...
08/15/2026

Wordhunting: “emotional support noise” is background TV, music, or radio that keeps you company without demanding attention. Source:

From Dr. Pimple Popper to How I Met Your Mother, Forged in Fire to Buffy, I’ve been exploring the “vast wasteland” of low-brow TV. Journey with me through the gems and clunkers, a…

“Ifs and buts and candied nuts” is another way to respond to those who, unrealistically, posit scenarios beginning with ...
08/13/2026

“Ifs and buts and candied nuts” is another way to respond to those who, unrealistically, posit scenarios beginning with "if" or "but." Listen here:

A middle school teacher in Flower Mound, Texas, responds to students’ protests and excuses with if all our buts were candied nuts, we’d all be fat for Christmas. It’s probably a variation of a phrase…

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