1461-AWWW-Intro-White-Water-Rafting by A Way with Words

Whitewater rafting has a rich tradition of slang that includes such terms as boulder garden, strainer, and drop pool. http://waywordradio.org via Pocket http://ift.tt/2hjWqys

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1461-Caller-Archie-Woodenspoon by A Way with Words

In Cantabrigian tradition, a wooden spoon was jokingly awarded to low achievers in mathematics. That practice later extended to other types of competitions. via Pocket http://ift.tt/2hjKaB8

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1461-Caller-Brent-Whistling-In-The-Dark by A Way with Words

An Indianapolis, Indiana, teacher and his class wonder about the origin of whistling in the dark, which means “to put on a brave face in a scary situation.” As it happens, the teacher’s band, The Knollwood Boys, recorded a song by the same name. http://waywordradio.org via Pocket http://ift.tt/2hjP8eh

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1461-Caller-Dan-Who-Was-She-From-Home by A Way with Words

Who is she from home? meaning “What’s her maiden name?” is a construction common in communities with significant Polish heritage. It’s what linguists call a calque–a word or phrase from another language translated literally into another. via Pocket http://ift.tt/2gBs2kY

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1461-Caller-Glory-Running-A-Sandy by A Way with Words

A historian in Indianapolis, Indiana, says a World War II-era letter from her father to her mother refers to running a sandy. It’s a phrase that derives from poker, and the act of sandbagging, or in other words, “bluffing,” an opponent. http://waywordradio.org via Pocket http://ift.tt/2hnaK9U

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1461-Caller-Kevin-Northern-Spy-Apple by A Way with Words

The manager of a cider mill in Rochester, Minnesota, is curious about the name of the variety of apple known as Northern Spy. The origins of its name are murky, but it was likely popularized by the 1830 novel Northern Spy, about a wily abolitionist. via Pocket http://ift.tt/2gBwFeN

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1461-Caller-Teresa-Around-The-Corner-Song by A Way with Words

A caller from San Antonio, Texas, remembers a song her father, a World War II vet, used to sing: Around the corner and under a tree/ A sergeant major proposed to me / Who would marry you? I would like to know / For every time I look at your face it makes me want to go — at which point the verse re via Pocket http://ift.tt/2gBnYkP

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