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

Can of Worms (Rebroadcast) - 20 May 2013

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

A Way with Words

Language Learning, Society & Culture, Education

4.62.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2013

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What do you call a guy with a bald pate? A chrome dome? Maybe the lucky fellow is sporting a solar panel for a sex machine. Also, which would you rather open: a can of worms or Pandora’s box? Plus, ordinary vs. ornery, versing vs. versus, dishwater vs. ditchwater, the copyediting term stet, still hunts, and doozies. And if someone’s a phony, is he a four-flusher or a floor-flusher? Maybe he’s also a piece of work.  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

At Accardo, you'll save 25% on your first shop and get free delivery, which means if you were to buy a four cheese pizza, you'd basically be getting one of the cheeses for free.

0:10.1

Save and splurge at Accardo, the online supermarket.

0:12.9

Geographical and other restrictions. Min spend £60 on charge to supply. Discount available on food, new customers only, max saving £20,000. Terms atacado.com.

0:20.5

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

0:23.9

I'm Martha Barnett.

0:24.8

And I'm Grant Barrett.

0:26.0

I was reminded again this week that in English we have a lot of these cute little phrases that we use to exchange words with strangers,

0:34.5

things that we say like hot enough for you or have a nice day. But the thing that they say

0:40.7

to me now, now that I keep my head basically bald, is things about my baldness. I was at an outdoor

0:48.0

concert here in San Diego, beautiful weather, but sunny. So I put some sunscreen on the top of my

0:53.1

head, which is basically bald.

0:55.3

Yeah, that's a good idea.

0:56.4

Good practice.

0:57.2

And a fellow comes up to me and asks to borrow the sunscreen, and then he said to me something like,

1:02.0

what was on top has left and I can't get it back.

1:04.2

What's on my back is all that's left.

1:08.6

To which I replied, a busy road grows no grass.

1:11.7

And then he replied, it's a solar panel for a sex machine.

1:15.6

And so it turns out, if you Google this, there are a ton of these expressions that bald people become accustomed to saying.

1:22.8

Because people can't stop commenting on the state of your head.

1:26.4

It's like it's the male equivalent of being pregnant. They can't not say anything. They feel compelled. Do they want to help? What I should have said, and this is one of my favorites, God only made so many perfect heads, the rest he covered in hair. So there's a ton of this stuff. Well, Grant, are you considering going to the Baldest Beautiful Convention in Moorhead, North Carolina, Moorhead City?

1:46.8

I'm not committed to making it a lifestyle.

...

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