Excuse the Hogs (Rebroadcast) - 16 February 2026

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

🗓️ 16 February 2026

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When a teenager went a week without talking as part of a school project, he noticed a surprising side effect: Instead of rehearsing a response to what other people were saying to him, he was focused on listening — and feeling smarter as a result. Plus, a flight attendant is irritated by a certain term she has to use frequently with passengers. Might there be a better word than de-plane? And how do you pronounce the name of the Show-Me State? The answers you’ll hear are as variable as Midwest weather. Also, cryptic crossword puzzle clues, jabroni, Chatham House rule, railroad slang, dress the bed, nuces relinquere, You can give them books and give them books, but they just chew the covers right off, 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 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	You're listening to Away With Words, this show about language and how we use it.
0:03.5	I'm Grant Barrett.
0:04.7	And I'm Martha Barnett.
0:06.2	On the Away With Words Facebook group, a recent thread had me laughing out loud.
0:11.8	Remember Kathy Bird started it with a post that said simply,
0:15.6	Episodes, the Greek God of Continuing Stories, Keep it going.
0:20.0	Episades.
0:27.5	Yeah, I finally figured out that she was mispronouncing episodes as epicities.
0:34.8	Opicities, there we go. You know, putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable. And a lot of people chimed in.
0:40.6	And pretty soon we had this whole pantheon of mispronounced English words that sound like Greek gods.
0:45.4	Stephen Fessler wrote, Lomonides, the god of cool refreshment.
0:47.1	Said of lemonade.
0:47.9	Yeah.
0:55.5	And Craig O'Connor said, Particles, the god of little bits that get missed by the vacuum.
0:57.8	Particles, particles.
1:00.6	And I like this one from Jay Banks.
1:03.8	He said, Anklees, the god of podiatry.
1:05.3	Oh, that's good.
1:06.2	Anclees, ankles.
1:07.5	Yeah, I love that.
1:12.1	And then Christine Porter suggested the god of impediments.
1:13.6	Can you guess what that one is?
	...

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