All Verklempt (Rebroadcast) - 9 September 2019

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

A Way with Words

Language Learning, Society & Culture, Education

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 9 September 2019

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Of all the letters in the alphabet, which two or three are your favorites? If your short list includes one or more of your initials, that’s no accident. Psychological research shows we’re drawn to the letters in our name. • If you doubt that people have always used coarse language, just check out the graffiti on the walls of ancient Pompeii. Cursing’s as old as humanity itself! • Just because a sound you utter isn’t in the dictionary doesn’t mean it has no linguistic function. • Also: verklempt, opaque vs. translucent, chorking, bruschetta, mothery vinegar, and a goose walked over your grave. 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 ⁠words@waywordradio.org⁠. 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	Welcome to Away with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
0:03.2	I'm Grant Barrett.
0:04.2	And I'm Martha Barnett.
0:05.6	Grant, I have a question for you about letters.
0:08.6	Okay.
0:09.6	I'm going to give you three different letters and I just wonder which is your favorite
0:13.8	letters of the alphabet got it yes okay V as in Victor L and G oh g of
0:21.8	course that's the first letter of my name and my son's name.
0:25.0	Oh, it is, indeed.
0:27.0	I didn't even think about your son's name.
0:28.0	Yeah.
0:29.0	And what about the letter R?
0:30.0	How do you feel about that letter?
0:32.0	That's okay.
0:34.0	That's fine.
0:35.0	I like to the shape of the R, the leg of it.
0:38.0	Okay.
0:39.0	Why?
0:40.0	I'm leading up to the name letter effect.
0:42.0	Oh, the name letter effect. I did it, didn't I?
0:45.3	You did indeed. The name letter effect is the tendency of people to prefer letters that are in their name,
0:52.0	especially initials. Yeah. Like in their name, especially initials.
	...

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