Just Skylarking (Rebroadcast) - 28 September 2026
Summary
This episode of A Way With Words explores language quirks, including the "Virginia invite" phenomenon, the etymology of "undertaker," and the dialectal "intrusive R" in words like "wash." Hosts Grant and Martha also discuss British baking terms like "stodgy" and "claggy," the rhetorical device of antimetabole, and the origin of "widow's peak." The show features a quiz segment with John Chinesky and a book review of George Saunders' "A Swim in a Pond in the Rain," highlighting listener stories about childhood mispronunciations and family idioms.
Topics discussed
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Listener submissions: Eggs and the word 'chupping'
Steve's dad's riddle: 'Do you live around here or ride a bicycle?'
Etymology of 'stodgy' and 'claggy' from British baking
Family anecdote: 'Dad's Emmy' and possessive 'my'
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Quiz: Fill in the blank with 'with the'
The 'Virginia Invite' and ambiguous social invitations
Why is a funeral director called an 'undertaker'?
Why 'conversationalist' but not 'conservationist'?
Antimetabole and chiasmus: 'It's not the size of the dog...'
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Book review: 'A Swim in a Pond in the Rain' by George Saunders
The pronunciation of 'wash' as 'warsh' (epenthesis)
German idiom: 'Talking around the hot porridge'
Origin of the term 'widow's peak'
Etymology of the Australian word 'skylarking'
Listener mail: Sandwich names and show credits
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