Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland

by Martha Barnette

With warmth, a popular radio and podcast host shares her love of language, weaving together linguistic history, regional phrases, the hidden poetry in etymologies, new words, and stories from her life and time on the air

Martha Barnette has spent two decades as the co-host of A Way with Words, lauded by Mary Norris in The New Yorker as “a virtual treasure house” and “‘Car Talk’ for Lexiphiles.” Over that time, she’s developed a keen sense of what fascinates people about language. They are curious about etymology and revel in slang, are surprised by regional vocabulary and celebrate linguistic diversity. Idioms both puzzle and delight word lovers, and they are eager to share family neologisms and that weird phrase Grandma always used to say.

In Friends with Words, Barnette weaves together all these strands in a clear, informative, highly entertaining exploration of language. Chock-full of anecdotes, humorous asides, new words, trivia, and other lexicological delights, Friends with Words also tells Barnette’s story—from her Appalachian roots through her study of Ancient Greek, and on to the making of a beloved and enduring show. Friends with Words is an expert, good-humored, joyful book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Audiobook, Linguistics, Writing, Memoir, History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2025

About the author

I’ve cohosted “A Way with Words,” the public radio show and podcast about words and how we use them, for 21 years now! My new book Friends with Words is a warm, witty memoir about the joys of language and the power of words to connect us.

Reviews

[Rainer Erani · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a certain fondness—maybe even reverence—I’ve had toward etymology for some time now. Maybe it’s studying theology that has repeatedly stapled Greek and Latin terms into my lexicon, or the way I’ve watched those words evolve into common English with a beautiful ancestry. Maybe it’s that little twinkle in my eye when I get to share a fun fact or two about where my friends’ words came from—and in pursuit of that insatiable buzz, I keep wanting to explore the world of words. Whatever the source, it was more than mere admiration that kept me turning the pages. Barnette weaves poetry, history, biology, geography, etymology, into a memoir that resembles a seamless tapestry of entertainment and edification. Reading this book was like a euphoric stroll through a botanical garden alongside your grandma’s best friend—as she tells you about the flowers, mentors, and lessons that shaped her. I’ve never read a book that has done so much, so beautifully. Almost like grandma’s friend has a PhD and ADHD—if that makes sense. In an effort to sound pretentious: this book was a gift for my delectation. This is an easy recommendation to polyglots, lexiphiles, and other word nerds. Book was so good, I started listening to her podcast.

[Peter Tillman]

Book excerpt here, on Proto-Indo-European origins of language:
https://lithub.com/on-the-particular-...
Interesting stuff, worth reading.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big word nerd, so I loved this one! I loved how Barnette interweaved fun facts and curiosities with memories of her own life. I was particularly affected by her relationship with her Greek teacher and how it shaped her. Barnette's voice is delightful, and I'm glad I'll have this to refer to when I forget the word for a unique concept or item.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delight and joy. Joy and delight. Two sentiments that the world is all too short on these days and all too abundant in this lovely, sweet, and moving memoir. Martha's genuine delight in the richness of language and words shines through from every page and fellow word-lovers (worders) will find themselves in the warmest of company. Despite being a loyal listener of AWWW for more than 10 years, I learned new words, new origin stories ("some bakery" isn't universal?!), and more about the person behind the voice--and heart and soul--of the show.

Martha, and this book, are the companion that you want on a road trip, a stroll around town, or a hike in the woods--in any "thin place," for that matter. I truly loved this ride and look forward to more stories, anecdotes, and discoveries in the show and in anything else she puts down to paper. Martha Barnette is a national treasure--and I'm sure that all worders, and that dancing Doberman, would agree.

[Ally Puglielli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first deep dive into etymology and this book covered alot of information. I was definitely interested in some of it, especially when she explained the origins of words/phrases that are specific to different regions of the US. My big takeaway from this book is understanding why Californians say “the” 405 freeway. Interesting stuff!

[Tyler Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oversized cinnamon roll of a book - the good parts were really good, the rest was ok, and I had little desire to finish the entire thing.

[Annaliese · Rating 3 out of 5]

My formal training in etymology unfortunately made it so that I was not the right audience for this book. However, I wish it had been published sooner so that I could have assigned some excerpts to my students! We covered many similar things (mondegreens/metanalysis/Greek and Latin roots) that would have made this a fun addition.

This book is kind of similar to The Etymologicon, but with the addition of biographical chapters, and also a less self-conscious sort of humor.

Overall, it’s a fun read with a lot of information thrown at you. I would recommend for someone very interested in etymology but no background!

Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams for the ARC.

[Dirks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grab your warm bread and cow cheese, aka butter, and get ready to tuck in to this funny conversation.

Brimming with fun phrases and witty sidebars, Martha Barnette takes us on a journey pairing her own meandering journey with words to the snapshot findings of a Worder Wagon, capturing unique phrases across the US in the 1965-1970s. The first half of the book reads much like the conversations Barnette described having with her Ancient Greek instructor: breaking words down one at a time, tying the meanings to different languages, and basking in awe of how language changes and reshapes over time.

The lyrical audiobook kept me engaged for hours as I, in perfect infoswine form, gobbled up unique words to add to my word hoard. The various anecdotes were lively and memorable, small enough to be recanted later at a dinner party, much to the joy of all attending.

Although there were far too many words and phrases to adopt all for daily use, I took great pleasure in hearing the wild stories behind each and every one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing this ARC-audiobook. All opinions, as always, are my own.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book for my fellow word nerds and anyone who wonders why we have very specific ways of describing things and events.
Ms. Barnette has a colorful history with words: reporting, writing, studying Greek, and co-hosting the popular “Friends with Words” public radio show that is now a podcast. She also takes us on a virtual road trip, sharing terminology specific to each US state. There are puns, insults, very long German words, and fun descriptions of common issues and problems. The narration is lively. My only caveat is that as an audiobook listener it is not always possible to know if she is talking about a word spelled mete or meat, or how many of the longer and foreign sounding words are spelled at all. My best advice is to have both the audiobook and a printed or ebook copy for reference!
I enjoyed this very much and recommend it to people who like words or like thinking about how language and usage evolves.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @DreamscapeMedia, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobooik #FriendswithWords for review purposes.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caveat: I've never heard of the podcast or this author. This book was a gift! I think if I knew the podcast or the author, I'd probably be more enthused? But as it was, it was a fun book, interesting tidbits about working in publishing and radio, of course fun word origin trivia.

Tangent: I've noticed word origin trivia often focuses on "classical" roots. There wasn't much mention of the Germanic or Scandinavian influences on English. And I've also noticed that a lot of times when "technically" there "is" a "word" for something, it is really convoluted. So like it's cool but also... like most trivia... trivial?

That said, still very enjoyable! I read it in just a few days, it's breezy and engaging. I want to read one of her other books about a specific subject (animal word etymologies, yessss), and I love that she was able to turn her passion about words and history and whatnot into a successful career.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of the podcast A Way With Words, so when I saw that one of the hosts, Martha Barnette, had a new book out I was very excited to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The chapters alternate between personal stories of how Barnette became the host of a radio show about language, fun explorations of regional words and phrases, and stories from callers. All the chapters are interesting, and often very funny. I laughed out loud a couple of times! I highly recommend this book if you are friends with words!

Thank you to Abrams Press and NetGalley for an advance reader copy.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for word lovers through history and humor. Especially funny to me was reading about the seventh planet from the sun while in a colonoscopy doctor’s waiting room. I laughed out loud.
(It took me so long to read the book because it took several turns of acquiring it through Libby and life got in the way.)

[Jordan White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d never listened to Martha Barnette’s radio show, A Way With Words, before picking up this book, but I enjoyed Friends With Words, particularly on audiobook. Barnette blends the etymology, idioms and regional vocabulary — my favorite — along with personal stories from her life.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced reader copy of #FriendsWithWords!

[Srishti · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this except for the US State specific bits, I'm not American so I wasn't particularly interested in those chapters.

I really enjoyed learning about the etymological origins of various words though

[Zoey Angelucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Gave me a good nonfiction boost for the year. Learned so much about words I love words.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this informative book. I enjoy etymology books and this one didn’t disappoint. Written in a fun, easy to understand way, this book reads more like a story than the reference, which makes it a pleasure to read. I definitely recommend this book to any word lover out there.

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Jenna Polan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not every podcast needs to be a book

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe you’re curious whether there’s a word that means “the place on your back that you can’t reach to scratch,” or “the warmth of sun in winter,” or “to put off until the day after tomorrow.” (There’s a word for each of those: acnestis, apricity, and perendinate.)

We like to think of our listeners as “worders.” Like birders who observe those animals closely for the sheer fascination of it, without judgment, we worders love observing words and phrases in the wild, and we delight in adding those discoveries to our word-hoard.

I am a wholehearted worder. I keep a list of interesting words and I adore when I find a new word. I am not as interested in the etymology side, but this book was a perfect blend of the nerdy part of wording mixed with some interesting stories and anecdotes. So. Much. Fun. I can't believe I had never heard of their podcast, A Way With Words, and I started listening; it is a mix of call-ins and some anecdotes and reading the hosts have done, so well worth the time.

An Athenian soldier named Pheidippides is dispatched to race back to the city with news of this important victory. Exhausted after the long day of fighting, Pheidippides nevertheless drops his heavy shield and runs for Athens. When he gets there, he announces, gasping, that the Athenians have won, then keels over dead. At least that’s one version of the story.

The site of the battle was just over twenty-six miles from Athens. You probably see where this is going. It was fought on the plain of Marathon, the inspiration for the name of the footrace that now honors the Athenian victory and the heroic run of Pheidippides. I suppose we should be grateful that the word commemorating that heroism is a toponym and not an eponym. As much as I enjoy saying “Pheidippides,” and as much as the word itself sounds like rubber shoe soles slapping the pavement, I’m really glad no one has to talk about training for a Pheidippides or even a Half-Pheidippides.

Our orange cat, Wolfgang is perched on a green chair, gazing at me with golden, chatoyant eyes. Chatoyant, which rhymes with buoyant, means “to shimmer like a cat’s eyes,” and is often used to describe the appearance of gemstones.

al-Khwārizmī came up with a revolutionary way of reaching mathematical solutions. He described his method of visualizing and describing a mathematical problem and the idea of systematically “reducing” and “balancing” an equation in a book known as al-Jabr, the short version of a longer title in Arabic that translates as “The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing.” The term al-Jabr there literally means “the reunion of broken parts” and is the source of our word algebra. In fact, the word algebra was first used in English not as a mathematical term, but as a medical one, referring to “the surgical treatment of broken or dislocated bones.”

Remember al-Khwārizmī’s second book that introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals to the West, paving the way for major mathematical and scientific advances? The book’s title was translated into Latin as Algoritmi de numero Indorum or “Al-Khwārizmī on the Hindu Art of Reckoning.” Note the Latinization of his Arabic name: Algoritmi. It’s the source of the word algorithm, or “a sequence of rules used to solve problems, perform calculations, or complete tasks.” Just imagine what al-Khwārizmī would make of their use today.

As his country’s newly appointed finance minister in 1759, Étienne de Silhouette tried to shore up the French economy by slashing the national budget, raising taxes, and cutting pensions. His austere measures proved so unpopular that Silhouette’s tenure lasted mere months, and the expression à la Silhouette came to mean something done on the cheap. His name also became associated specifically with simple portraits made with a dark figure against a light background. Speakers of English initially referred to these inexpensive portraits as shades, but later replaced that term with the fancier-sounding French name of an ousted government official.

The Italian port city of Genoa was once famous for producing the coarse cotton fabric known as fustian, which speakers of English called Gene fustian, from French jean fustian, literally “fustian from Genoa.” In the nineteenth century, the name of this sturdy cloth came to be applied to trousers made either from jean or from denim. (The word denim itself is from French serge de Nîmes, serge being a type of strong, woven fabric, and Nîmes being a town in southern France where it was produced.)

A Janus word can have two completely opposite meanings depending on context. They developed that status in several different ways. Take, for example, the word sanction. Sanction can mean “to approve or allow,” as in The committee sanctioned the new policy. But sanction can also mean “to penalize or discipline,” as in The Senate sanctioned a member of its own. In this case, sanction developed multiple meanings over time. Originally, a sanction was “a formal decree,” but over time, another meaning of the word sanction arose, specifying the penalty imposed for disobeying something that had been decreed. Something similarly confusing happened with peruse. It can be used to mean “examine without paying much attention,” as in I perused some magazines while waiting for the doctor. But peruse is also used to mean “examine with close attention,” as in Peruse the contract so you understand all the terms or Before starting to bake, he perused the recipe to make sure he had every single ingredient on hand.

Janus words go by several different names. Whether you call them contronyms, contranyms, antagonyms, and autoantonyms, the meaning is the same. They’re words that can seem to mean the opposite of themselves. Like so much of language, it all depends on context. Here
Dust “To remove dust,” as in He dusted the table. “To apply fine powder,” as in Dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Resign “To accept reluctantly,” as in I’ve resigned myself to staying at my job. “To quit something,” as in I’ve resigned from my job.

The Book of St. Albans contains essays on falconry, hunting, fishing, and heraldry. One section, titled “The Compaynys of Beestys and Fowlys,” lists 164 collective names for groups of beasts and fowls. Among them: a charm of goldfinches, a skulk of foxes, a shrewdness of apes, an unkindness of ravens, a business of ferrets, and a flock of sheep. The author of The Book of St. Albans didn’t make up all these terms. Flock, for example, had already been around in this sense for hundreds of years. But Juliana, or whoever the author was, clearly had fun with some of these. In fact, the section on collective nouns for animals also includes some playfully picturesque terms for groups of humans as well, including a rascal of boys, a pity of prisoners, a promise of bartenders, a hastiness of cooks, a discretion of priests, and, for some reason, a superfluity of nuns.

When you try to do something offline that’s possible only on-screen. You’re scribbling out a grocery list, but when you write the word broccoli—wait, is that two c’s or one?—you half expect a squiggly red line to appear underneath it telling you you’ve misspelled it. Or maybe you’re flipping through a magazine and see an interesting photo and instinctively touch your thumb and forefinger to the page to enlarge it. Or perhaps you’re reading a book and reach for the “back” button to return to the previous page. Shouldn’t there be a term for that bit of muscle memory that kicks in when we’re using nonelectronic objects? My personal favorite is e-flex—that is, reflex without the r.

Then there’s the Greek word that means “flower” itself, anthos, the source of chrysanthemum, or “golden flower,” and “a flower with a tail,” anthurium. And of course, there’s one of the loveliest words in all of English, anthology. An anthology is literally “a gathering of flowers”—a literary bouquet, if you will.

Daisy In Old English, this flower was called dæges éage, literally “day’s eye,” inspired by the fact that some varieties of this cheery blossom close up their petals at night, then open again in the morning.

Lupine The English adjective lupine means “wolflike” or “ruthlessly predatory,” from Latin lupus, or “wolf.” The flower called lupine is so named because it thrives in poor soil, giving the impression that it “wolfs” nutrients from the earth. Actually, the opposite is true: Lupine is a nitrogen-fixing plant, meaning that it enhances the soil by converting nitrogen into a form that other plants can use.

Cappuccino Your steaming cup of cappuccino commemorates the dull brown garb of the order of Franciscan monks known as the Capuchins, known for their lives of austerity and simplicity and their work with those who are impoverished. Their simple robes are topped with a long, pointed hood, or in Italian, cappuccio, that droops down the back.

[Donna]

This book is every bit as clever, entertaining, and accessible as the author’s NPR radio show. I’d highly recommend the book for wordies, especially those of us who read style and usage guides for fun.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Press for an advance copy of this book that is both education of a word loving person, and a look at the fascinating world of words, their meanings, the pasts and how language is adapting to our different and seemingly difficult future.

My father had few claims to fame, but the one he was proudest of was spelling the word 'antidisestablishmentarianism' in a Catholic school spelling bee. My father always said the proctor wasn't paying that much attention, and to him it sounded right. My mom is first reader to her deceased best friend's daughter who writes a fairly popular romantasy series, catching mistakes, grammar, and probably being surprised at what appears in the book. My brother makes his living with words, and I make my living by selling them. So language has always been important to us. Either as puns, private jokes, impressing each other, or just sheer amazement at where words can take us. Every book I read I still use a file card to write down quotes I enjoy, good ideas to acquire more information on, and of course words I never knew. This book was the perfect read to me. A book where I felt like meeting an old friend, catching up on their adventures, and learning a whole lot of new words. Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland by word-lover, radio and podcast host, and generally cool person to hang around with, Martha Barnette is a an exploration of a life in words, from humble beginnings, to hosting radio shows, with a look at where language has come from, how we adapted it, and more importantly where it might be going.

Martha Barnette grew up with two parents who loved language and more importantly loved her and the people around them. Barnette leaned the power of language, from her father's writings on religion, from her mother, and from her own interest. A class in school, which was all Greek to her, made her seek out a tutor, who turned into a mentor. The teacher was a polyglot of language lore, not only teaching the word, but its origins, who other languages absobed it, and how it changed. This teacher changed Barnette in many ways, opening up langauage in ways she had never thought. Barnette soon invested more time and effort learning about words, word origins, both around the world, and in her own back yard of Appalachia, and the other regions of the United States. Soon there was a radio show, one that became popular enough to survive some tough times.

A book that gave me far more than I expected, and one I really enjoyed. The biographical information was well told, touching in many parts, and one can't help saying a "You go girl" under one's breath, depending if one is reading in a semi-crowded break room. Along with this is lots and lots of words, their origins, their pasts, and how different regions use different words for the same thing. This is the stuff I found really fascinating, and one that I am sure drove people nuts as I kept talking about. I forget even as I read so much how much I find words fascinating, and something that Barnette does not mind sharing. The writing is very good, a sort of hey this is kind of cool writing, with lots of information, but presented in a way not to whelm or overwhelm in anyway. The personal information is also well written, touching in quite a few spots.

A great book for burgeoning logophiles, writers and for people who just love information. The writing is very good, and it is always nice to read about people who find what they love, and make a living at it. A informative and well-told story. I look forward to more books by Barnette.

[Cheryl Gatling]

This book is two, two, two books in one. (That’s a reference to an old Certs breath mint commercial for you young folks.) It’s partly a book about words, and partly a memoir.

Martha Barnette is co-host of the podcast A Way With Words, which I have never heard, although it sounds like something I would like. She writes about words that are named after people (eponyms) and words that are named after places (toponyms). She writes about words that derive from mythology, words that have been coined to fit a specific niche need because there just ought to be a word for such a thing, and many unique regional uses. She writes about fun, weird words and phrases just because they are fun and weird.

I won’t include any examples, because where would I start, and where would I stop? The overall feel is one of playfulness. She writes with a respect for the evolving mystery that is our language, constantly surprising us. That enjoyment is infectious.

And then, in case you wondered, she shares how it is she came by this love of words, and how a person with a phobia of public speaking came to make her living that way. How she immersed herself in the study of ancient Greek with a memorable teacher. How her father escaped sweatshop-like factory conditions by self-educating himself (yes that’s redundant) to become a professor of ethics and a social justice warrior. How she got into magazine writing, and then into podcasting. How she grew into a job that didn’t come naturally. How she and her colleagues struggled with scarce funding.

Martha Barnette titles her book Friends With Words. She does indeed convey that words are her friends, but also that she would be friends with anyone else who likewise loves words, like me, and maybe like you. I will say again what I already said, that the journey is fun.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martha Barnette was failing a Greek course, so she looked for a tutor. He was a fascinating character who taught her about etymology and how languages are alive. He made it dynamic and entertaining and Barnette strives to do the same with her radio program (eventually a podcast). Friends with Words is a fun way to learn. Sometimes she keeps following one idea after another, combining languages, history and culture. Audio may not be the best format for this, as I wasn’t sure of the spelling of some words, but you can’t beat a narration by the author, so a quick Google search fixed that problem. Barnette takes a trip around the US exploring local sayings and expressions, she digs into the mythological figures behind the names of the planets, months, days of the week and even regular words and sayings. A few chapters were more of a personal memoir, which was interesting but not really why I was reading this. Funny, smart and educational, this is a great book for word nerds.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Dreamscape Media.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book was the beginning, in which the author hires an elderly professor to teach her classic Greek, and a unique friendship (and a lot of homemade bread) ensues. The author's personal stories are interspersed with the language chapters.

Word nerds will appreciate this book. Barry Manilow fans may not. I don’t think the slight was intentional, but a story that asserts that wearing a Barry Manilow t-shirt would be embarrassing for the average college student does not paint a flattering portrait of a Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award winner who still provides a peerless concert experience at the age of 82. I would have worn the t-shirt without a second thought or a scintilla of embarrassment, and likely asked the researchers if I could keep it after their little experiment was over. So there.

I wasn’t too surprised to hear the author worked with Richard Lederer, a name familiar to language lovers. I was very surprised when she mentioned Greg Pliska, who I’m familiar with from his job as Chief Puzzle Officer of The Puzzler podcast, which every word nerd and/or puzzle fan should be listening to.

[Vish · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

*Friends with Words* by Martha Barnette turned out to be such an entertaining and surprisingly cozy listen. Martha Barnette weaves together etymology, slang, regional dialects, and personal stories in a way that feels both informative and fun. You can really hear her passion for language in her narration, which made the audiobook a joy to follow.

What I especially enjoyed was how she connected words to lived experience—it wasn’t just about definitions, but about how language carries culture, humor, and even emotion across time. It reminded me that words are living things, constantly shifting and reflecting the world around us.

My one tip: if you can, have both the audiobook and a print or ebook copy. There are so many fascinating tidbits, turns of phrase, and little stories that you’ll probably want to highlight or flip back to.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this book. It’s the kind of read that makes you pay closer attention to the words you use every day. Highly recommended for anyone who loves language, enjoys wordplay, or just likes learning the quirky histories behind how we speak.

[Linda Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book full of great words and etymologies for all the Wordies in the world. Martha Barnette is also one of the hosts of the podcast "A Way With Words". In this book she introduces the reader to many useful words such as chatoyant - to shimmer like a cat's eyes- and footercooter meaning to waste time. She covers a broad range of linguistic topics such as contranyms, Proto-Indo-European roots, the Grimms brothers and the great vowel shift, and lots of examples of how language is unique in different states. You will learn how there is a sword in gladiolas and a crane in geraniums. She introduces the reader to a plethora of fun and useful words and sayings such as The Abilene Paradox, a cardboard dog and skeuomorph. One of my favorites is that swink means to work really hard and you are forswunk if you are totally worn out from work. If you love words and language you will love this book.

[Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is delightful! At first I was struggling since it felt like very heavy information and facts all thrown at you. I'm glad I stuck around because it soon changed into a beautiful dedication to how language is wonderful and has been evolving since the beginning of time. The audiobook format is also great since hearing the slight differences in words and pronunciation is helpful to understanding the bigger picture on what the author is trying to get across. Although the beginning feels fact heavy without much regard to why I should care, the book turns into a story of humankind where I felt transported throughout the author's life story and through a journey of the United States of America.
Overall, it is a book I would recommend to others as it makes me see the loveliness of language and how it is still evolving.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A logophile's (aka, word lover's) idea of a good time is learning new words and their origins, even better when you get to share that knowledge with others. Barnette found a way to do that for a living, and although it was not easy, she jovially shares all the ups and downs of that while giving readers a fun look at words, language, and how they evolved into what they are today.
This is one of those books that should come with audio because not only are there words that I need help with figuring out how to pronounce, but there are also times when different pronunciations of the same word are mentioned and I read them both the same. I wouldn't say that an audiobook would be the solution to this because I also like to see how the words are written, but an audio element would have been appreciated.

[Jac Filer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a word nerd and etymology lover, this book is worth reading. What I most appreciate is that Martha Barnette doesn't simply present interesting etymologies in listicle format, but actually weaves the origins into a seamless story. This is especially apparent in the early chapters where the narrative flows easily and logically from one story to the next.
The book loses a little momentum in the later chapters, as the author intersperses chapters of her professional journey between word origin chapters. Also in the latter half as the book takes a linguistic tour of the 50 US states, the narratives become shorter, with more frequent hard breaks as the reader crosses state lines.
Overall, this book is an enjoyable experience. Readers are likely to encounter a few favorites, and perhaps some long forgotten relics, while learning plenty of new origin stories along the way.

[Shona Neufeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supreme book for all word nerds! Barnette tells her own journey through her life as a linguist and famous podcaster over two decades as cohost of “A Way With Words” while interweaving fascinating etymologies, phrases, words that should exist, and more, brought up by callers or through her extensive research. There are also local colloquialisms in every state throughout the book that are very fun to ask your friends and family about who are from that region. Highly recommend this book to anyone interested in words!

The epigraph says it all:

“Words may be made to disgorge the past that is bottled up inside them, as coal and wine, when we Kindle, or drink them, yield up their bottled sunshine.”
-Owen Barfield, ‘History in English Words’

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think 12 year old me would have loved this book. I absolutely recommend it for the precocious children in your life.

As an adult? It was kind of dry. I don't really care about all the regional terms and origins of words strung together without any real narrative. I think making more lists and less paragraphs would have made it better since I could skim through to find the things I wanted to read.

This is also part memoir. I don't think that fit very well into this book and as someone who's never listened to her podcast, Barnette's story wasn't something I was invested in.