Cut the Mustard - 11 November 2024

过关斩将 - 2024年11月11日

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

社会与文化

2024-11-11

53 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Do people who work together sound alike? Yes! Over time, they may begin to develop similar patterns of speech, or what might be called an “occupational accent” that helps them communicate efficiently. Also, lots of familiar words in English got their start not in the languages of Europe, but in Asia — words including bungalow, ketchup, and avatar. And: what’s that snowbird on the basketball court? All that, plus an Olympic-style word game, Buxtehude, the many ways to pronounce onion, cut the mustard vs. pass muster, Der Bus hält an jeder Milchkanne, how pet names evolve, a punny joke about being addicted to seaweed, and why you might say someone who’s clueless is bored, punched, drilled, or countersunk, and lots more. Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org/contact. Be a part of the show: call 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; worldwide, call or text/SMS +1 (619) 800-4443. Email words@waywordradio.org. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  • You're listening to Away With Words, the show about language and how we use it.

  • I'm Grant Barrett.

  • And I'm Martha Barnett.

  • And Grant, I need some marital counseling.

  • I hope you can help me out.

  • Oh, no. You guys are so cute together.

  • Well, yes, for the most part we are.

  • But there's this one thing, this one, I know I'm not supposed to peeve about language,

  • but there's this one thing that my wife does.

  • She'll talk about, oh yeah, the flashlight lives on that.

  • Table over there or the peanut butter lives in that cabinet, you know, where's the peanut butter?

  • Oh, it's it's in the cabinet where it always lives.

  • I You're not fond of that verb to lived meaning that's where it stays.

  • That's where it belongs Yeah, not if it's an inanimate object Are you peeping?

  • How dare you?

  • I know we preach against that all the time, but every time she can't help it.

  • Well, of course, it's good-natured kidding, but I always make the argument it's not alive.

  • But I don't know.

  • I mean, of course,

  • the point here is that you can't break down the English language too far or you'll drive yourself nuts,