Listening for the joy of language
Image: Thibault Maestracci on Unsplash
Ever wondered why we call it a trailer when it comes before the movie? Or why we refer to anonymous or unknown people as John or Jane Doe?
These and many other topics to do with language are the heart and soul of A Way with Words, a podcast that’s all about ‘language and how we use it’.
A Way with Words is co-hosted by linguist and lexicographer Grant Barrett and ancient Greek and Latin specialist and author Martha Barnette. The pair are out and proud word nerds and invite questions from all over the world about language, delving into culture, history, etymology and family along the way.
Between conversations with listeners, they share fascinating word-related information from the jargon of metal detecting enthusiasts (e.g. gold dance) to kennings (‘compound words that have metaphorical meanings’ used in Old English, e.g. whale-road for ocean, or rugrats for small children as a more modern example).
The call-in listeners are primarily from North America as the show is based in San Diego, California, but they often come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. They bring the hosts such questions as, ‘Why do some people mouth along when I am talking to them?’, ‘Is it only my father who uses the phrase “tougher than a boiled owl”?’ and ‘My wife said she’ll sweep the carpet when she meant vacuum it. What’s wrong with her?!’ The answers are always interesting and illuminating.
Barrett and Barnette take on every and any aspect of language. They investigate such idioms as having a hair on your tongue, expressions including ‘shaking a stick at’ and share the many and varied ways there are to convey being a cheapskate – every language seems to have one: in Argentina, you’d be accused of having a crocodile in your pocket, in Serbia, a snake, in Brazil, a scorpion, in France, sea urchins. No one’s reaching for their wallet in those cases!
They also regularly make connections between ancient and modern languages, for example, the bursa in our knee is related to the words ‘purse’ and ‘reimburse’. As well, they reintroduce us to words that have fallen out of style and yet are worthy of revival: respair is one such word meaning ‘the return of hope after a period of despair’.
Often answering questions that have crossed your mind as well, for the word lovers and language observers among us, this podcast provides a weekly dose of linguistic delight.