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

By a Long Shot (Rebroadcast) - 28 April 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

🗓️ 28 April 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other street within ten miles. Could you do it? We take street names for granted, but these words are useful for far more, like applying for a job or bank loan — and they’re a powerful record of who and what we value. Plus, a third-grader asks why the first episode of a TV series is often called a “pilot.” And: the story of the word “dashboard,” from muddy roads to computer screens. All that, plus nanomoon, not by a long shot vs. not by a long chalk, layovers to catch meddlers, proc, don’t buy the hype, do it for the hywl, and a cheesy quiz flecked with puns, and 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

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0:29.8

You're listening to Away with Words, the show about language, and how we use it. I'm Grant Barrett.

0:34.9

And I'm Martha Barnett. The new movie Dream Horse tells a true story

0:39.5

that takes place in a tiny Welsh village. On a whim, the local bartender, played by Tony Colette,

0:46.5

dreams of breeding a championship racehorse. So she buys a mare and she persuades her neighbors

0:53.2

to chip in with a little money each week to

0:55.8

support her efforts. Now, a horse like that is a long shot to win anything, but you can imagine

1:02.9

why there's a movie about this true story. Because they lose, right? Well, Grant, you'll just

1:10.4

have to see it. It's pretty predictable, but if you do see

1:15.7

this movie, you may wonder about a word that turns up when the local townsfolk meet for the

1:21.7

first time to decide whether to go for this seemingly impossible goal. Eventually, they all agree that they're not doing this for

1:30.0

any prize money. They're doing it for the hoil. And if you go to look up the word hoil in the

1:37.0

dictionary, you may have trouble finding it, but here's the key. Here's what you have to remember.

1:42.6

This story takes place in Wales,

1:45.0

and the word they're using is spelled H-W-Y-L, Hoyle. Nice. W as a vowel.

1:53.1

W as a vowel, as you see in Welsh. The term is hard to define, but I looked it up in the Oxford English Dictionary,

2:00.6

and the definition there was

2:02.0

an emotional quality which inspires and sustains impassioned eloquence. Also, the fervor of emotion

...

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