Discussion Forum | A Way with Words

Grant Barrett on Newsletter for December 28, 2009: Somebody Loves You On the Radio

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:30:07 +0000

Hi-ho, Martha and Grant here!

Did you miss us? We've been super-busy, working hard to keep bringing you more entertaining conversation about language. Thanks for the cards, letters, and phone calls in which you share your love, too.

We want to share something else, something that is super-exciting for us: "A Way with Words" is now supported by a non-profit organization, which means that your contribution to the show is now tax-deductible!

As you may know, "A Way with Words" is independently produced and distributed. Bringing you the show is a labor of love for us, and we're deeply grateful for your stories, insights, and questions about language.

We hope you'll consider making a contribution to help keep this show available--totally free of charge--to language lovers like you and English learners worldwide. Listener donations are an important part of what keeps the program ticking.

Drop by http://waywordradio.org/donate/ and click on the big yellow "Donate" button. Thank you!

In other news:

In case you missed it, the San Diego Union-Tribune recently got a look behind the scenes here at "A Way with Words." Here's their report:

http://tinyurl.com/yhg8jeh

Personally, we'd have liked to have seen a serial comma in the description of us as "too crazy, too bullheaded, and too passionate." But whateverrrr.

Grant just published his annual words-of-the-year roundup in the New York Times. There you'll find buzzwords that reflect our times, from aporkalypse to unubium.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12.....0buzz.html

Finally, writing in the Boston Globe, Erin McKean discusses a multipurpose word that has teenage tongues wagging: "Meep!"

http://bit.ly/86v8z7

Don't forget you can find out what has our tongues wagging and our fingers flying. Stay in touch with us all week long through our Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/wayword/

Thanks as always for listening, and please do let us know if you have some thoughts to share about language or about the show.

Best wishes to you for peace and love in the new year,

Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett,
Co-hosts of A Way with Words

http://waywordradio.org
words@waywordradio.org

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Glenn on Sailor's Delight (full episode)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:00:17 +0000

Ron Draney said:

We've all known people who routinely "correct" his just deserts to make it seem like it's about ice cream.

This is certainly my most notable example. Each time I put it in writing, "just deserts" creates a firestorm. Now I avoid it.

Last time I saw it "in print" was the Wall Street Journal online, wsj.com, in an acticle about Eliot Spitzer. You can fill in the blanks. Online it was spelled "just desserts" so I ran (as fast as I could) to a buddy I knew would have the paper copy, in which it was spelled correctly as "just deserts." I prefer to assume the print editor was more skilled than the online editor, and made a last-minute change. The alternative possibility that the online editor "corrected" the spelling to "desserts" would be too distressing to dwell upon.

I e-mailed wsj.com, but got no reply, and the online article was never corrected to my knowledge.

Glenn on Sailor's Delight (full episode)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:42:35 +0000

Unless I am mistaken, the word mentat was coined by Frank Herbert in the Dune series. The meaning was a person who, in the place of computers, was a kind of savant at doing large-number mental manipulations and complex analyses. They were hired for their skills, which could be greatly enhanced by sappho juice which, while increasing their cognitive speed and mental activity, could also be quite addictive.

Anyone who has that association (Anyone? ... Anyone?) would be confused by the use of the word for a person being mentored.

telemath on Boy Scouts' "Tu"

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:01:07 +0000

Thank you very much!

camelsamba on Spendthrift Snollygosters (full episode)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:52:45 +0000

Grant Barrett said:

Grant shares some slang he's found while exploring the game of Skee-Ball, including to hit the hundo.

And in an interesting twist, I was playing Skee-Ball on my iPod touch while riding the bus home when this segment came on! I'm much more like to find the forty than hit the hundo, though.

mpg on Sailor's Delight (full episode)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:15:57 +0000

> What's the best term for "someone who's being mentored"?

"Mentat" immediately came to mind. Apparently it is not a Real Word(tm), but it seems like a good candidate nonetheless.

ob. cit.: http://www.wordnik.com/words/mentat

-mpg

Ammon on Profanity, curses and other generally offensive terms or phrases.

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:27:40 +0000

Ron Draney said:

The Maledicta website may be helpful to you.

Ahh. Very helpful. Thanks you for the recommendation. Particularly a link from that site is helpful. It is http://www.alternative-diction.....y/English/ Though it is not for the sensitive. I was a bit shocked by some of the content. However, it has some of what I am looking for. Anyone have anything that records words and phrases that are older than these?

Thanks again!

MadWriter on Boy Scouts' "Tu"

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:34:28 +0000

It's "Two" and comes from the military. Why "two", I don't know. From the Marine Corps Close Order Drill Manual:

1. The purpose of the hand salute is to demonstrate mutual respect and courtesy between members of military organizations and to show respect to national colors. It is executed in one count when halted at attention, marching at quick time, or seated in a vehicle. The command is “Hand, SALUTE.” To return to the position of attention the command is “Ready, TWO.”
a. When “SALUTE” is given, raise your right hand smartly in the most direct manner until the tip of your forefinger touches the lower part of the headdress above and slightly right of your right eye. Your fingers should be extended straight and joined with the thumb along the forefinger. You should be able to see your entire palm when looking straight ahead. Your upper arm should be parallel with the deck with the elbow in line with the body and your forearm at a 45-degree
angle. Your wrist and hand should be straight, a continuation of the line made by your forearm. At the same time, if not in ranks, turn your head and eyes toward the person or colors you are saluting.
b. At the command “TWO,” return to attention. Move your hand smartly in the most direct manner back to its normal position by your side.
c. To ensure simultaneous execution of the second movement of the hand salute
when troops are in formation, the preparatory command “Ready,” will be used prior
to the command of execution “TWO.”

PrettyToney on shut the lights - a regionalism or what?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:11:16 +0000

I grew up in NY and use both "shut the lights" and "turn off the lights."

I think I've heard "close the lights" too... but possibly from non-native speakers (of English).

Grant Barrett on How do you pronounce "both"? Please take our survey!

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:30:52 +0000

Do you pronounce the word "both" differently from other English-speakers? Take the survey and tell others about it. The more respondents we get, the more we'll know. http://bit.ly/9xnxTk

telemath on Boy Scouts' "Tu"

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:07:53 +0000

In my son's Boy Scout troop, after reciting the pledge of allegiance, and after retiring the flags, the leader always dismisses everyone with "Tu." Or maybe it's "to", "too", "tew", "two," or "tu" - I don't know.

It is always spoken with a tone of finality and dismissal and it's definitely an end-of-ceremony marker, but no one I've spoken to knows its meaning or origin.

Does anyone know where this came from and what it means? And, if it's not too many questions for one post, how it's spelled?

Ron Draney on Profanity, curses and other generally offensive terms or phrases.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:32:13 +0000

The Maledicta website may be helpful to you.

adventure on Sufficiently Suffonsified (full episode)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:14:33 +0000

I've heard "gradoo" in Florida. It's like "schmutz." And they thought it was 'their' word. Ha! Though, that family has some crazy word usage. "Puny" to mean "weak from being sick" or "fatigued."

They have ties to New Orleans, though.

Ron Draney on Sailor's Delight (full episode)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:12:54 +0000

Would anyone care to spend some time talking about words that other people will assume you have misspelled (especially when the difference hinges on the presence or absence of a double letter)?

We've all known people who routinely "correct" his just deserts to make it seem like it's about ice cream. And fans of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers may remember being briefly confused by the references to a corespondent in "The Gay Divorcee".

EmmettRedd on Southern "Miss" for married women?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:28:20 +0000

Rather than a "Southerism" I always thought of it more as a "slave-ism". There were three women in the O'Hara household. Mrs. O'Hara would have worked for mother, Ellen. But, Miss O'Hara would not have distinguished between Scarlett and Suellen. "Miss Scarlett" and "Miss Suellen" would have easily differentiated between them as well as acknowledge the slave giving "title" and respect to her owner or owner's family member.

Although not necessarily the case for the novel, house slaves were often multi-generational care givers. Continuing to use the "Miss X" formula required no change upon marriage. It also simultaneously displayed respect and endearment.

BTW, I found this quote of the actress who played Scarlett's black Mammy:

Playing the Mammy of Miss Leigh was just about the biggest thrill I've ever had.

Hattie McDaniel

Even long after slavery ended, she was still showing respect to the 'Gone With the Wind' lead actress.

Emmett