A Cool Million - 31 March 2025

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

A Way with Words

Education, Language Learning, Society & Culture

4.6 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

So many books and so little time—it’s a challenge to choose what to read next! It helps to remember that so-called “reading mortality” is a fact of life—you’ll never get to them all, but you can curate your own to-read list that speaks to you. Plus, the sneaky story behind the expression slip someone a mickey, and a new word for walking your dog: let’s go on a sniffari! And: favorite first lines of books, Bohemian, a brain teaser about song titles, how to pronounce aioli, jo-jo potatoes, a cool million, and lots more. Hear hundreds of free episodes and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org. Be a part of the show: call or text 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the United States and Canada; elsewhere in the world, call or text +1 619 800 4443. Send voice notes or messages via WhatsApp 16198004443. Email [email protected]. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So, you want to be a marketer.
0:02.8	It's easy.
0:04.1	You just have to score a ton of leads and figure out a way to turn them all into customers.
0:07.9	Plus manage a dozen channels, write a million blogs and launch 100 campaigns all at once.
0:12.4	When that's done, simply make your socials go viral and bring in record profits.
0:16.6	No sweat.
0:18.2	Okay, fine.
0:19.1	It's a lot of sweat.
0:20.4	But with HubSpot's AI-powered marketing tools,
0:23.2	launching benchmark-breaking campaigns is easier than ever. Get started at HubSpot.com slash marketers.
0:30.0	You're listening to Away With Words, the show about language and how we use it. I'm Grant Barrett.
0:35.4	And I'm Martha Barnett. There's nothing like opening a book and falling in love at first line.
0:43.1	What is it that draws you in or makes that first line so powerful or effective or irresistible?
0:51.2	I'm thinking Grant of first lines like it was a bright cold day in April and the
0:56.4	clocks were striking 13, you know, the first line of 1984. It just makes me want to keep going.
1:03.3	Or even, where's Papa going with that axe?
1:07.3	Oh.
1:08.3	From Charlotte's Webb, right? Mm-hmm.
1:11.8	And I've been puzzling lately over what makes a great first line, and I think that the writer
1:17.0	Alice McDermott has a really good answer.
1:20.6	In her book of essays called What About the Baby, some thoughts on the art of fiction,
1:25.9	she says that the one thing great first lines have in common
	...

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