A Way with Words
@waywordradio.org
Public radio's lively language show! On-air in US, free podcast worldwide. https://waywordradio.org [email protected]. Toll-free US/Canada 24/7 1-877-929-9673 or https://wa.me/16198004443 #linguistics #etymology #podcast #books #language
Hurry and scurry and flurry and worry until you're feeling poosly, or don't do that — instead listen to the new "A Way with Words" episode: https://waywordradio.org/use-your-noodle/
January 26, 2026 at 2:43 AM
Hurry and scurry and flurry and worry until you're feeling poosly, or don't do that — instead listen to the new "A Way with Words" episode: https://waywordradio.org/use-your-noodle/
Welcome to new stations and listeners via WESA FM in Pittsburgh, KTRL FM at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and Radio IQ in Roanoke and central and western Virginia! https://www.wesa.fm/ https://www.tarleton.edu/ktrl/ https://www.wvtf.org/
January 18, 2026 at 2:02 PM
Welcome to new stations and listeners via WESA FM in Pittsburgh, KTRL FM at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and Radio IQ in Roanoke and central and western Virginia! https://www.wesa.fm/ https://www.tarleton.edu/ktrl/ https://www.wvtf.org/
If you are a Canadian francophone, there's a survey on French swearing researchers are running! Si vous êtes un Canadien francophone, des chercheurs mènent un sondage sur les jurons en français! https://run.pavlovia.org/pavlovia/survey-2024.2.0/?surveyId=97fb5ca8-1eee-41f7-9f7f-8eaa87645a49
January 17, 2026 at 8:19 PM
If you are a Canadian francophone, there's a survey on French swearing researchers are running! Si vous êtes un Canadien francophone, des chercheurs mènent un sondage sur les jurons en français! https://run.pavlovia.org/pavlovia/survey-2024.2.0/?surveyId=97fb5ca8-1eee-41f7-9f7f-8eaa87645a49
We are stoked by sick rides with you! conta.cc/4pYNYGP
December 30, 2025 at 1:38 PM
We are stoked by sick rides with you! conta.cc/4pYNYGP
You dropped your pocket! Your epidermis is showing! Your sock is untied! waywordradio.org/safe-as-hous... You'll go gunnybags over this new episode — it's gooder ’n snuff ’n’ not near as dusty.
December 21, 2025 at 11:18 PM
You dropped your pocket! Your epidermis is showing! Your sock is untied! waywordradio.org/safe-as-hous... You'll go gunnybags over this new episode — it's gooder ’n snuff ’n’ not near as dusty.
You dont have grob on some back-alley website nor go around the Wrekin nor trek out where God lost his galoshes — here is the new episode of "A Way with Words": waywordradio.org/potatoes-and...
December 15, 2025 at 12:55 PM
You dont have grob on some back-alley website nor go around the Wrekin nor trek out where God lost his galoshes — here is the new episode of "A Way with Words": waywordradio.org/potatoes-and...
"Down bucket!" "Up for air!" It's another online-only bonus minicast from "A Way with Words": waywordradio.org/minicast-bon...
December 11, 2025 at 8:54 PM
"Down bucket!" "Up for air!" It's another online-only bonus minicast from "A Way with Words": waywordradio.org/minicast-bon...
Mia says donate! She's part of the "A Way with Words" family, living with our producer, Stefanie Levine. Mia says a gift worth a half-dozen long johns or eclairs would help keep new episodes coming in 2026. waywordradio.org/donate PS: Mia's health is 100% now!
December 11, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Mia says donate! She's part of the "A Way with Words" family, living with our producer, Stefanie Levine. Mia says a gift worth a half-dozen long johns or eclairs would help keep new episodes coming in 2026. waywordradio.org/donate PS: Mia's health is 100% now!
Thanks to new "A Way with Words" sponsor Ellipsus! ellipsus.app/WORDS Ellipsus makes it easy for anyone to write together. Focus on creativity, collaboration, and community. Proudly pro-human. (No AI, ever.) And it's free for everyone!
December 8, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Thanks to new "A Way with Words" sponsor Ellipsus! ellipsus.app/WORDS Ellipsus makes it easy for anyone to write together. Focus on creativity, collaboration, and community. Proudly pro-human. (No AI, ever.) And it's free for everyone!
Bonus minicast! How place names change as they pass through languages, with "Picketwire" as our key example. https://waywordradio.org/minicast-bonus-picketwire/
December 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Bonus minicast! How place names change as they pass through languages, with "Picketwire" as our key example. https://waywordradio.org/minicast-bonus-picketwire/
If you're feeling Weltschmerz or you have the botts, the only solution is to listen to the latest new episode! https://waywordradio.org/drop-in-the-bucket/ We know it's only one hair from nine oxen but add oil! Maybe it won't turn off cold this week!
November 30, 2025 at 11:37 PM
If you're feeling Weltschmerz or you have the botts, the only solution is to listen to the latest new episode! https://waywordradio.org/drop-in-the-bucket/ We know it's only one hair from nine oxen but add oil! Maybe it won't turn off cold this week!
Whippoorwills, bob whites, and chickadees. How do we decide the names of birds and what to call their calls? https://waywordradio.org/no-bones/ And lots more in the latest new episode.
November 17, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Whippoorwills, bob whites, and chickadees. How do we decide the names of birds and what to call their calls? https://waywordradio.org/no-bones/ And lots more in the latest new episode.
Wuzzle, fuzzle, gnurr, oosse, squatcho and more in the latest new episode! https://waywordradio.org/cat-bristle/
September 15, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Wuzzle, fuzzle, gnurr, oosse, squatcho and more in the latest new episode! https://waywordradio.org/cat-bristle/
New emoji, including "face with bags under its eyes," plus the bug that gives us crimson color: https://waywordradio.org/good-egg-bad-apple/ And tons more in this latest new episode!
September 1, 2025 at 11:25 AM
New emoji, including "face with bags under its eyes," plus the bug that gives us crimson color: https://waywordradio.org/good-egg-bad-apple/ And tons more in this latest new episode!
We had a blast at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival yesterday at the University of San Diego! Thanks to everyone who came out to hear and see us, and to the organizers for such a fulfilling event.
August 24, 2025 at 10:59 PM
We had a blast at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival yesterday at the University of San Diego! Thanks to everyone who came out to hear and see us, and to the organizers for such a fulfilling event.
Hi! Martha and Grant will speak at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival presented by the University of San Diego, Saturday, August 23, University of San Diego campus. Come join the Wayword word nerds and book nerds and RSVP at https://kpbs.org/sdbookfestival @UofSanDiego #KPBSBookFestival
August 14, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Hi! Martha and Grant will speak at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival presented by the University of San Diego, Saturday, August 23, University of San Diego campus. Come join the Wayword word nerds and book nerds and RSVP at https://kpbs.org/sdbookfestival @UofSanDiego #KPBSBookFestival
The thousand-year-old love poem — "delight in you is breath together with life" — and more in the latest new episode. https://waywordradio.org/mox-nix/
August 4, 2025 at 12:12 AM
The thousand-year-old love poem — "delight in you is breath together with life" — and more in the latest new episode. https://waywordradio.org/mox-nix/
How do catchphrases become popular? https://waywordradio.org/catchphrases-and-how-they-spread/ And more in this new episode: https://waywordradio.org/imaginary-friends-episode-1661/
July 20, 2025 at 11:45 PM
How do catchphrases become popular? https://waywordradio.org/catchphrases-and-how-they-spread/ And more in this new episode: https://waywordradio.org/imaginary-friends-episode-1661/
One kind of visiting fireman paints the town red rather than douses it — that and more in our latest new episode. https://waywordradio.org/eat-my-hat/
June 30, 2025 at 1:53 AM
One kind of visiting fireman paints the town red rather than douses it — that and more in our latest new episode. https://waywordradio.org/eat-my-hat/
In mud eels are / In clay none are / In pine tar is / In oak none is. New episode is: https://waywordradio.org/straight-and-narrow/
June 16, 2025 at 12:10 PM
In mud eels are / In clay none are / In pine tar is / In oak none is. New episode is: https://waywordradio.org/straight-and-narrow/
This one's for the pilkunviilaajat, the comma-polishers. The saltigrade tardigrades. The mothers, the madres, the mères. The other shoe has dropped: https://waywordradio.org/the-other-shoe/
June 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM
This one's for the pilkunviilaajat, the comma-polishers. The saltigrade tardigrades. The mothers, the madres, the mères. The other shoe has dropped: https://waywordradio.org/the-other-shoe/
With forty-eleven social media outfits vying for your time and mental space, there's always home to come back to: we've relaunched the A Way with Words community forum. Come and get some sugar: https://waywordradio.org/community/
May 29, 2025 at 6:47 PM
With forty-eleven social media outfits vying for your time and mental space, there's always home to come back to: we've relaunched the A Way with Words community forum. Come and get some sugar: https://waywordradio.org/community/
Been out sworping lately? https://waywordradio.org/swarping-sworping/ Or run the sweeper (a.k.a. the vacuum)? https://waywordradio.org/sweeping-with-a-vacuum/ Well, a new episode has hove into view: https://waywordradio.org/bean-counting/
May 19, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Been out sworping lately? https://waywordradio.org/swarping-sworping/ Or run the sweeper (a.k.a. the vacuum)? https://waywordradio.org/sweeping-with-a-vacuum/ Well, a new episode has hove into view: https://waywordradio.org/bean-counting/
Eh? What did they say? Let's find out — please help fund audio transcriptions for the entire "A Way with Words" episode back catalog! https://waywordradio.org/transcripts Thank you!
May 13, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Eh? What did they say? Let's find out — please help fund audio transcriptions for the entire "A Way with Words" episode back catalog! https://waywordradio.org/transcripts Thank you!
Starting tomorrow, "A Way with Words" is on the air in Louisville, Kentucky! https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-05-05/new-programs-are-coming-to-wfpl-this-week Tuesday nights at 8 on 89.3 WFPL, Louisville Public Media.
May 5, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Starting tomorrow, "A Way with Words" is on the air in Louisville, Kentucky! https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-05-05/new-programs-are-coming-to-wfpl-this-week Tuesday nights at 8 on 89.3 WFPL, Louisville Public Media.