
A Murphy, a Melvin, and a Wedgie (#1283)
Series: A Way with Words
From: A Way with Words
Length: 00:54:00
- Playing
- A Murphy, a Melvin, and a Wedgie (#1283)
- From
- A Way with Words
When it comes to joining Facebook affinity groups, grammar lovers have lots of choices. Take, for example, the group whose motto is "Punctuation saves lives." It's called "Let's Eat Grandma!'" or "Let's eat, Grandma!" Martha and Grant talk about their favorite tongue-in-cheek Facebook groups for grammar lovers. Also this week" when to use apostrophes, whether to distinguish between bring and take, and the difference between a murphy and a wedgie.
Ever notice how you can sing the lyrics of "Amazing Grace" to the theme from "Gilligan's Island" -- or for that matter, to "The House of the Rising Sun"? Turns out there are many more examples of this. Is there a word for this musical phenomenon?
A Connecticut listener says her Generation Y friends make fun of her when she describes something happening in fits and starts. Is it that antiquated a phrase? Where does it come from, anyway?
Quiz Guy Greg Pliska has a quiz about famous trios. Try this one: "Steve Martin, Martin Short, and ___________?"
If someone gives you crazy props or mad props, they're congratulating you. A Chicago college student wants to know what props means in this context.
What's the difference between bring and take?
When someone grabs your underwear from behind and gives it a good, vertical yank, it's called a wedgie. A caller knows that term, but wonders whether and how a wedgie differs from a murphy or a melvin.
Grant quizzes Martha about the meaning of several rhyming verb and noun phrases: cuff and stuff, the cherries and blueberries, chew and screw, eat it and beat it, and flap and zap.
A Lawrenceville, Georgia, woman wonders: If chalkboards go the way of the buggy whip, what simile will replace the expression nails on a chalkboard?
Grant answers a listener's email question about the meaning of the musical phrase chicky-wah-wah.
A caller from Veroqua, Wisconsin, is fascinated by hoarfrost and wonders about the origin of its name. Grant explains its relation to the English term hoary.
The mother of a boy named Hendrix wonders how to punctuate the possessive of his name. Should she add an apostrophe or apostrophe with an "s"? Hendrix' or Hendrix's?
Also in the A Way with Words series
Raining Cats and Dogs (#1344)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
Get out your umbrellas -- it's raining pitchforks and . . . bullfrogs? This week, it's odd expressions that mean "a heavy downpour." Also, holistic vs. wholistic, recurrence ...
Why Do Girls Wear Pink? (#1324)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
We all know that the color pink is for boys and the color blue is for girls--at least, that's how it was 100 years ago. Grant and Martha share the surprising history behind ...
Books With a Letter Missing (#1323)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
Remember those children's classics, the Velveteen Rabbi and The Little Price? The Twitterverse is abound with these books with a letter missing. And it turns out there's some ...
Like a Bad Penny (#1343)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
What did you call the cliques in your high school? Were you a member of the nerds, the jocks, or maybe the "grits" or the "heshers"? Also, what's the meaning of the phrase ...
The Horse You Rode In On (#1342)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
What colorful language do you use to when you're angry and tempted to use a four-letter word? There's a difference between cursing and cussing: It takes a slow mind to ...
The Shank of the Evening (#1341)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
What time is it if it's "the crack of chicken"? And when exactly is the "shank of the evening"? How do you pronounce the word spelled H-O-V-E-R? Did Warren G. Harding really ...
Going All City (#1322)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
Have you been dining on a budget lately? Martha recommends the necessity mess, potato bargain, and other tasty regional foods that won't break the bank. Plus, what's a ...
The College Slang Party (#1320)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
Ever been to an ABC party? How about a darty? The hosts discuss these and other slang terms heard around campus. They also talk about mulligrubs and collywobbles, a puzzle ...
Him and I or Him and Me? (#1319)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
If someone offered you a croaker with an old man's face, would you accept? You should! Croaker is a slang term for "hundred dollar bill." And did you ever wonder why we turn ...
Rock, Paper, Scissors (#1340)
(00:54:00)
From: A Way with Words
Does the thought of going without your cellphone fill you with separation anxiety? Grant and Martha coin some monikers for this modern-day phobia. Also, what's the best way ...
Piece Description
When it comes to joining Facebook affinity groups, grammar lovers have lots of choices. Take, for example, the group whose motto is "Punctuation saves lives." It's called "Let's Eat Grandma!'" or "Let's eat, Grandma!" Martha and Grant talk about their favorite tongue-in-cheek Facebook groups for grammar lovers. Also this week" when to use apostrophes, whether to distinguish between bring and take, and the difference between a murphy and a wedgie.
Ever notice how you can sing the lyrics of "Amazing Grace" to the theme from "Gilligan's Island" -- or for that matter, to "The House of the Rising Sun"? Turns out there are many more examples of this. Is there a word for this musical phenomenon?
A Connecticut listener says her Generation Y friends make fun of her when she describes something happening in fits and starts. Is it that antiquated a phrase? Where does it come from, anyway?
Quiz Guy Greg Pliska has a quiz about famous trios. Try this one: "Steve Martin, Martin Short, and ___________?"
If someone gives you crazy props or mad props, they're congratulating you. A Chicago college student wants to know what props means in this context.
What's the difference between bring and take?
When someone grabs your underwear from behind and gives it a good, vertical yank, it's called a wedgie. A caller knows that term, but wonders whether and how a wedgie differs from a murphy or a melvin.
Grant quizzes Martha about the meaning of several rhyming verb and noun phrases: cuff and stuff, the cherries and blueberries, chew and screw, eat it and beat it, and flap and zap.
A Lawrenceville, Georgia, woman wonders: If chalkboards go the way of the buggy whip, what simile will replace the expression nails on a chalkboard?
Grant answers a listener's email question about the meaning of the musical phrase chicky-wah-wah.
A caller from Veroqua, Wisconsin, is fascinated by hoarfrost and wonders about the origin of its name. Grant explains its relation to the English term hoary.
The mother of a boy named Hendrix wonders how to punctuate the possessive of his name. Should she add an apostrophe or apostrophe with an "s"? Hendrix' or Hendrix's?
Broadcast History
For broadcast starting Friday, March 25, 2011. This episode first aired March 13, 2010.
Transcript
When it comes to joining Facebook affinity groups, grammar lovers have lots of choices. Take, for example, the group whose motto is "Punctuation saves lives." It's called "Let's Eat Grandma!'" or "Let's eat, Grandma!" Martha and Grant talk about their favorite tongue-in-cheek Facebook groups for grammar lovers. Also this week" when to use apostrophes, whether to distinguish between bring and take, and the difference between a murphy and a wedgie.
Ever notice how you can sing the lyrics of "Amazing Grace" to the theme from "Gilligan's Island" -- or for that matter, to "The House of the Rising Sun"? Turns out there are many more examples of this. Is there a word for this musical phenomenon?
A Connecticut listener says her Generation Y friends make fun of her when she describes something happening in fits and starts. Is it that antiquated a phrase? Where does it come from, anyway?
Quiz...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
The show clock:
Billboard: 1:00
Segment 1: 13:00
Music Bed: 1:00
Segment 2: 19:00
Music Bed: 1:00
Segment 3: 19:00
TRT: 54:00
Stations typically take NPR news at the top of the hour and start our show at :06 with Breaks at :19 and :39 and out at :59.
Here's a typical episode rundown:
--Billboard
--Seg 1
----Intro: 2-3 minutes
----Caller questions: 10-11 minutes
--Break 1:00
--Seg 2
----Word Challenge 4-6 minutes
----Caller questions 13-15 minutes
--Break 1:00
--Seg 3
----Slang Quiz 5-7 minutes
----Caller questions 11-13 minutes
----Credits: 1:00
Intro and Outro
INTRO:This week on "A Way with Words": It's fun Facebook groups for grammar lovers! Also, Martha and Grant talk about apostrophes, and when to use the word "bring" instead of "take". And what's the difference between a wedgie and murphy?
OUTRO:Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| You've Made Me So Very Happy | O'Donel Levy | Killer Jazz Funk From The Groove Merchant Vault. | LRC Ltd. | 00:15 | |
| Step One | Jimmy McGriff | Step One. | Solid State | 01:00 | |
| Nose Job | James Brown | Ain't It Funky Now. | King Records | 00:10 | |
| Easter Parade | Jimmy McGriff | Step One. | Solid State | 01:00 | |
| Theme From Shaft | Isaac Hayes | Shaft: Music From The Soundtrack. | Stax | 00:17 | |
| Let's Call The Whole Thing Off | Ella Fitzgerald | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George & Ira Gershwin Song Book. | UMG Recordings | 00:47 |
Additional Files
- Copy for use by stations on their websites or by their on-air hosts (110326-1283-web-and-audio-promo-copy.txt)
Additional Credits
Hosted by Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett. Produced by Stefanie Levine. Engineered and edited by Tim Felten. Production assistance by Jennifer Powell, James Ramsey, and Josette Herdell. Recorded at Studio West in Rancho Bernardo, California, and at KQED Radio in San Francisco.





