The Last Straw - 11 December 2017

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

🗓️ 11 December 2017

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, books for word lovers, from a collection of curious words to some fun with Farsi. • Some people yell “Geronimo!” when they jump out of an airplane, but why? • We call something that heats air a heater, so why do we call something that cools the air an air conditioner? The answer lies in the history of manufacturing. • Also, quaaltagh, snuba, the last straw vs. the last draw, and to see a man about a horse. Read full show notes, hear hundreds of free episodes, send your thoughts and questions, and learn more on the A Way with Words website: https://waywordradio.org/. Email words@waywordradio.org. Twitter @wayword. Our listener phone line 1 (877) 929-9673 is toll-free in the United States and Canada. Elsewhere in the world, call +1 (619) 800-4443; charges may apply. From anywhere, text/SMS +1 (619) 567-9673. Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Every episode of A Way With Words is a labor of love made possible by your support.
0:05.5	From research to radio, we're here because of you.
0:08.6	Show your love and donate at wayward radio. Org slash donate.
0:14.0	Thank you.
0:15.0	You're listening to a way with words,
0:17.0	the show about language and how we use it.
0:19.0	I'm Grant Barrett.
0:20.0	And I'm Martha Barnett.
0:22.0	Think back to New Year's Day last year. Do you remember who the first person was to walk into your home?
0:28.5	No, I don't. That year or the year before? Never, really?
0:32.0	The year before that? I recently learned that there is a word for
0:37.8	that person the first person to walk into your home is a word for in the new year Yes and that word is qualtuk. Now let me explain it's
0:46.3	spelled a little bit strangely it's Q-U-A-A-L-T-A-G-H
0:52.0	Qualtuck.
0:53.0	Yes.
0:54.0	And the reason it looks weird is because it's Manx.
0:57.5	It comes from the Isle of Man, where there was a tradition of keeping track, of the first person to enter your house on New Year's
1:06.1	day and in fact there are superstitions involved in which person that was.
1:12.1	You didn't want the person to be light
1:14.7	complected for a month.
1:15.8	Interesting. So dark complected people mean good luck for the year?
1:18.8	Yes, apparently according to some 19th century texts.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from A Way with Words, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of A Way with Words and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.