Crash Blossoms: When Words Collide (rebroadcast) - 5 July 2010

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A Way with Words

Language Learning, Society & Culture, Education

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 July 2010

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, it’s headlines that make you do a doubletake, like “Child’s Stool Great for Use in Garden.” Martha and Grant discuss a few of these bloopers, also known as crash blossoms. Also, if you unthaw something, are you freezing it or unfreezing it? Do hotcakes really sell that fast? What’s the likelihood of getting people to use a new gender-neutral pronoun? And Grant shares the story behind the term knucklehead. 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	British gas have this thing. We call it home care. We'll fix all sorts and its unlimited repairs.
0:06.0	Expert engineers will solve the upset of boilers not boilering or taps that won't wet.
0:12.0	Electrics playing tricks or a pipe that's broke. We're there for everyone. Even blue furry folk.
0:19.0	Your home won't feel booby-trapped. It'll feel just like new.
0:23.4	British gas taking care of things and looking after you. T's and C supply, excess options available
0:29.3	per repair. Support for Away With Words comes from National University where flexible online classes
0:34.5	let you earn your degree or credential on your schedule. Learn more at
0:38.5	NU.edu.
0:40.4	By MozyPro online backup. MozyPro protects your business's data with simple, secure, and affordable
0:46.8	backup solutions. Find out more at mozy.com slash words.
0:59.0	You're listening to Away with Words. I'm Grant Barrett.
1:00.0	And I'm Martha Barnett.
1:01.4	Don't you love headlines that make you do a double take?
1:04.5	You know, like McDonald's fries the holy grail for farmers?
1:08.3	Or how about this one?
1:09.6	Genetic Engineering splits scientists.
1:14.1	We do need two Stephen Hawking.
1:18.1	Time travel is just one clone away.
1:21.9	Recently, language columnist Mark Peters had a piece in the magazine called Good, in which he talked
1:27.4	about a term that linguist and copy editors are increasingly using for these kinds of bloopers.
1:32.1	They call these verbal collisions crash blossoms.
1:35.5	And I love this expression. Grant, when I think of crash blossoms, I picture words that are crashing together and a whole new idea blossoming out of that.
	...

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