Does language acquisition correspond with being ambidextrous? A woman notices her polyglot husband takes notes with his right hand for certain languages, then switches to his left for other ones. And: What's the difference between an orchard and a grove? Is it correct to speak of an apple grove or an orange orchard? Also, some fun slang from Newfoundland: Sit too long on a hard seat, and your badonkadonk will wind up “dunch.” Plus: duckish, woo-woo, a puzzle about werewolves, waxing eloquent about whiskey, muldoon, names coined by famous authors, huerta and horticulture, zerbert, and a hundred feet of chow line. http://waywordradio.org

Chow Line (#1668)

If you’re looking for a placeholder when you can’t remember someone’s name, there’s always what’s-her-bucket. Or try using the Newfoundland catch-all term buddy, as in buddy wasisname. http://waywordradio.org

1668-Buddy-Wasisname

Allison in Redwood City, California, says her family has long used the word zorbit to refer to what happens when someone playfully blows a raspberry on your cheek or belly to make a funny sound. That’s probably their version of a fanciful word first popularized on a 1985 episode of the The Cosby show as ZRBTT and later as zerbert. http://waywordradio.org

1668-Caller-Allison-Zorbit

Jeff in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, asks about muldoon, a word particular to Baltimore politics, with a wide variety of meanings. Muldoon may well have Irish roots, and Baltimore columnist Frank Kent popularized it as a term for someone with a large extended family and the ability to deliver a substantial number of votes, and thus a reliable, productive member of the local political machine. http://waywordradio.org

1668-Caller-Jeff-Muldoon

Jennifer teaches yoga on the beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and she and her students have been collecting synonyms for derriere, such as dump truck, rear end, and badonkadonk. The last of these has been around for at least 25 years, and was popularized by a 2001 song featuring Keith Murray with LL Cool J and Ludacris. The following year Missy Elliott released Work It, with lyrics that also included a version of this word. It wasn’t long before badonkadonk crossed over into country music, in songs such as ”Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” by Trace Adkins. http://waywordradio.org

1668-Caller-Jennifer-Badonkadonk

What’s the difference between a grove and an orchard? Every orchard is a grove, but not every grove is an orchard. Can you speak of an apple grove or an orange orchard? Yes, although it’s far more common to say apple orchard and orange grove. The word orchard, by the way, may derive from Latin hortus, meaning “garden,” the source of horticulture and the Spanish word for “garden,” huerta. http://waywordradio.org

1668-Caller-Jeremy-Orchard-Vs-Grove

Liam from San Francisco, California, is wondering about woo-woo. How did this term come to be an adjective describing beliefs or practices considered unscientific or irrational? Woo-woo likely imitates otherworldly sounds or ghostly moans. http://waywordradio.org

1668-Caller-Liam-Woo-Woo

A Way with Words is a fun and funny public radio program about language examined through history, culture, and family. Its mission is to change the way you think about language. The program is heard by broadcast and podcast across the United States and around the world by more than a quarter-million listeners each week. It's produced by Wayword, Inc., a nonprofit whose mission is to promote lifelong learning, better human communication, and the value of a thing well-said or well-written. Call or write with your language questions at any time: (877) 929-9673 (toll-free in the US and Canada) or just email us: words@waywordradio.org.