Way Word Radio

  Every Saturday Morning, I get a call from a family member.  Every time he calls, he has a radio show blaring in the background loud enough for me to clearly hear it.  It's called Way Word Radio.

The radio program describes itself as "a public radio program about language examined through history, culture, and family.  

The program looks at the origin of words, sayings, and talks about language that is disappearing due to time.  People call in to ask questions, share things they've found on words or poems.  The program also shares information on laws dealing with names or words.

To be more precise the two hosts, Grant and Martha who examine how the language is changing via pop culture, sports, science, music and the arts, current events, politics, family sayings and language use, proverbs, history of language usage, dialects, regional language usages, etc.

It is quite fascinating. It is not on my local radio station but it is on his.  I get to listen to it when he calls.  Its fun because at time there is silence during the conversation while we both listen to a piece on the show.

Some of the words and phrases they have discussed recently include:

1. In the military if you loose your bubble, you've lost your bearings.

2. Catch you on the flip side refers to the side B of a single.  Records are making a comeback but not everywhere. With digitized music, its no longer recognizable.

3. Death cleaning has nothing to do with dead bodies but with downsizing and getting rid of all the crud people have built up over a life time.

4. The term flea market meaning an outdoor market set up where second hand and discount items are sold probably came from a Dutch term that sounds similar.

5. Scuttlebutt refers to a water filled casket on board ship and is used for gossip usually around a water cooler.

6. Jetsam is the stuff thrown off a sinking ship while flotsam refers to the remains of the shipwreck. 

7. Eavesdropping came about to describe people who stood outside a window to listen in.  Now it just means listening in.

They have earlier episodes on their website broken down by topic so you can listen to the whole thing or to just parts of it.  You can also find them on iTunes, or get their app to listen to their show.  They have a store with swag and a dictionary with some unusual terms, some of which I've never heard of such a Plaming.

Go check it out to see if it is on your local public radio station or just check it out to see if it fullfils your desire to learn more.  Let me know what you think.  Have a great day.