What could be scarier than flipping on your favorite public radio station, only to hear static, or worse yet, the hogwash and hooey of...commercial radio? Ick! This week, it's a special edition of our show, in which we ask you to show your local public radio station the love by calling in with a pledge of support. Speaking of scary, a Wisconsin listener says she's developed a phobia and needs a name for it. What would you call the morbid fear of being caught on a long drive without an audiobook? Grant and Martha try to help her come up with the right word. A San Diegan who grew up in New Jersey used to hear his friend's mother kvetch, "Hak mir nisht ken tshaynik!" He says there was never any doubt it meant she wanted the children to be quiet, but always wondered about the literal meaning of this Yiddish phrase. Quiz Guys Greg Pliska and John Chaneski present a wacky guessing game called "Small Talk." They divide into teams with the hosts, then give each other clues in order to guess a word or name. The only catch is that every clue must be just one syllable. (For starters, how would you suggest the answer "Walter Cronkite" using single syllables?) An Indianapolis woman whose in-laws hail from eastern Kentucky says she was baffled the first time she accepted their offer of a "roasted mango"--only to be handed a roasted bell pepper. Grant tells the fascinating story of why the word "mangoes" means "bell peppers" in parts of the United States. A California man is pondering some sales literature and wonders which of these versions works best in terms of grammar and style: 1. The owners, Doctors Chens, are experts in the field. 2. The owners, Doctor Chens, are experts in the field. 3. The owners, Doctors Chen, are experts in the field. 4. The owners, the Doctors Chen, are experts in the field. What's your guess? Once you've enjoyed today's episode, we hope you'll take a moment to show your local public radio station how much you appreciate this kind of programming. After all, the alternative's just too darn scary.

What could be scarier than flipping on your favorite public radio station, only to hear static, or worse yet, the hogwash and hooey of...commercial radio? Ick! This week, it's a special edition of our show, in which we ask you to show your local public radio station the love by calling in with a pledge of support. Speaking of scary, a Wisconsin listener says she's developed a phobia and needs a name for it. What would you call the morbid fear of being caught on a long drive without an audiobook? Grant and Martha try to help her come up with the right word. A San Diegan who grew up in New Jersey used to hear his friend's mother kvetch, "Hak mir nisht ken tshaynik!" He says there was never any doubt it meant she wanted the children to be quiet, but always wondered about the literal meaning of this Yiddish phrase. Quiz Guys Greg Pliska and John Chaneski present a wacky guessing game called "Small Talk." They divide into teams with the hosts, then give each other clues in order to guess a word or name. The only catch is that every clue must be just one syllable. (For starters, how would you suggest the answer "Walter Cronkite" using single syllables?) An Indianapolis woman whose in-laws hail from eastern Kentucky says she was baffled the first time she accepted their offer of a "roasted mango"--only to be handed a roasted bell pepper. Grant tells the fascinating story of why the word "mangoes" means "bell peppers" in parts of the United States. A California man is pondering some sales literature and wonders which of these versions works best in terms of grammar and style: 1. The owners, Doctors Chens, are experts in the field. 2. The owners, Doctor Chens, are experts in the field. 3. The owners, Doctors Chen, are experts in the field. 4. The owners, the Doctors Chen, are experts in the field. What's your guess? Once you've enjoyed today's episode, we hope you'll take a moment to show your local public radio station how much you appreciate this kind of programming. After all, the alternative's just too darn scary.