A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

Hair on Your Tongue - 11 February 2019


Listen Later

If you speak both German and Spanish, you may find yourself reaching for a German word instead of a Spanish one, and vice versa. This puzzling experience is so common among polyglots that linguists have a name for it. Also, the best writers create luscious, long sentences using the same principles that make for a musician's melodious phrasing or a tightrope walker's measured steps. Finally, want to say something is wild and crazy in Norwegian? You can use a slang phrase that translates as "That's totally Texas!" Plus happenstance, underwear euphemisms, pooh-pooh, scrappy, fret, gedunk, tartar sauce, antejentacular, and the many ways to pronounce the word experiment.

 Listen to all episodes for free: https://waywordradio.org/
 
Support the show to keep episodes coming: https://waywordradio.org/donate
 
Your responses, questions, and comments are welcomed at any time! 
 
https://waywordradio.org/contact
 
[email protected]
 
Listener line 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the US and Canada
 
Text/SMS +1 (619) 567-9673
 
Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. All rights reserved.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all overBy Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett. Produced by Stefanie Levine.

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

2,154 ratings


More shows like A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

View all
The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters by American Public Media

The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters

3,050 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,584 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,925 Listeners

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by QuickAndDirtyTips.com

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

2,845 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,551 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

37,835 Listeners

StoryCorps by NPR

StoryCorps

3,951 Listeners

Selected Shorts by Symphony Space

Selected Shorts

2,831 Listeners

The Moth by The Moth

The Moth

27,186 Listeners

The Allusionist by Helen Zaltzman

The Allusionist

3,007 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,567 Listeners

Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone by Lipstick Nancy, Inc. & Glassbox Media

Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone

4,024 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,039 Listeners

Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris by Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

94 Listeners

How To Do Everything by NPR

How To Do Everything

254 Listeners