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Podcast: A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Episode: Copacetic (Rebroadcast) - 16 July 2018
Description: Brand names, childrenâs games, and the etiquette of phone conversations. Those clever plastic PEZ dispensers come in all shapes and sizesâbut where did the word PEZ come from? The popular candyâs name is the product of wordplay involving the German word for âpeppermint.â Also, the story behind that sing-songy playground taunt: âNeener, neener, NEEEEEEEEEEner!â Listen closely, and youâll hear the same melody as other familiar childrenâs songs. Finally, the process of ending a phone conversation is much more complex than you might think. Linguists call this verbal choreography âleave-taking.â Itâs less about the literal meaning of the wor...