[This episode originally aired February 16, 2008.]There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world today, and by some
estimates, they're dying off at the rate of one every week. What's lost
when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and
efforts to record some endangered languages before they die out
completely.A caller named Holly confesses that there's a word
that practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it.
Grant assures her she's not alone in her aversion to the word--Holly,
cover your eyes--'moist.' Grant and Martha discuss the psychological
aversion some people have to certain common terms. Is there a word that makes you shudder in disgust? Unload in our discussion forum.An
Indianapolis woman calls to say she a great first date with a doctor,
but was horrified to hear him suggest they meet at an 'expresso' shop.
She asks for dating advice: Should she correct the guy, keep quiet
about this mispronunciation, or just hope he never orders espresso
again? Would you go out on a second date with someone who orders a cup
of 'EX-presso'? A California man says that he thinks he is
increasingly hearing locutions like '50 is the new 30' and 'pink is the
new black' and 'blogs are the new resume.' He's curious about the
origin of this 'X is the new Y' formula.You may recall
earnestly singing 'Kumbaya' around a campfire. But a caller observes
that the title of this folk song has taken on a new, more negative
meaning. Grant and Martha discuss the new connotations of 'Kumbaya,'
especially as used in politically conservative circles.Puzzle
Guy Greg Pliska presents a puzzle about William Snakespeare--you know,
the great playwright whose works are just one letter different from
those of his better-known fellow writer, William Shakespeare. It was
Snakespeare, for example, who wrote that gripping prison drama, 'Romeo
and Joliet.'Grant talks about a Jack Hitt article on dying
languages in the New York Times, which points out that sometimes 'the
last living speaker' of a language...isn't.A caller named Brian
wonders whether a co-worker was right to correct him for saying that
something minor was 'of tertiary concern.' Does 'tertiary' literally
mean 'third,' or can it be used to mean more generally 'peripheral' or
'not so important'?A Milwaukee man is mystified about the use of the word 'nee' in his grandmother's obituary.A 'Slang This!' contestant guesses at the meaning of the slang terms 'faux po' and 'pole tax.'A
caller is curious about the colloquial expression 'it has a catch in
its getalong.' She used it to describe the family's faulty car. Her
husband complained the phrase was too imprecise. Grant and Martha
discuss this and similar expressions, like 'hitch in its getalong' and
'hitch in its giddyup.'A California caller is puzzling over the
expression 'have your cake and eat it, too.' Shouldn't it be 'eat your
cake and have it, too'?Grant tells the story of Eliezer Ben
Yehuda, who revived the use of Hebrew outside of religious contexts. In
1850, no one spoke Hebrew as an everyday language; now it's spoken by
more than 5 million.That's all until next week! May your getalong keep getting along.---Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours
a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit
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