Temperature blankets are a visual and tactile mirror of the day's weather. Knitters use specific shades of yarn to match daily temperatures, creating a colorful, cozy record of weather over a given period of time. Plus, a new book chronicles the history and uncertain future of modern dictionaries. And: try replacing the term bucket list with bliss list. It’s a great strategy to help you focus on finding joy in small, meaningful moments every single day. Also, Your epidermis is showing, a puzzle about funny pronunciations, efficacy vs. effectiveness, voiceless labial-velar approximants, gig economy, the meaning of 73 among ham radio operators, go gunnybags, to Elmer someone, the historical present, and better than snuff, but not near as dusty.  http://waywordradio.org

Safe as Houses (#1672)

In her newsletter Bloom Anywhere, writer and editor Gwen Moran relates a conversation with her oncologist, who discouraged her from using the term bucket list. As a result, Moran began replacing the expression bucket list with bliss list. She suggests that this little change in vocabulary is a helpful way to focus on finding joy in smaller, meaningful moments each day, rather than big-ticket items. http://waywordradio.org

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Chris in San Antonio, Texas, a professional musician, asks where the word gig comes from. While gig is now the standard term for a musical engagement and has broadened to any short-term job, its early origins are murky. It may be related to the term jig, meaning “a dance,” or a similar-sounding French word. Gig economy is a much newer coinage that repurposed the older musician’s gig into a wider labor metaphor. http://waywordradio.org

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Among ham radio enthusiasts, the word Elmer has become an affectionate term for an experienced ham radio operator who mentors a novice. It’s also used as a verb: Elmering someone means helping a new ham. The term was coined in a 1971 magazine article by Rod Newkirk, who wrote about his own mentor, Elmer P. Frohardt Jr. of Madison, Wisconsin. An older slang use of Elmer denotes a “rube” or “gullible person.” In ham radio lingo, 73 is a way of signing off with “best regards.” http://waywordradio.org

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Heather in Fairbanks, Alaska, asks why historians and documentary narrators sometimes describe past events in the present tense. This use of the historical present is a storytelling convention that creates immediacy. The historical present can be vivid and compelling, but inconsistency of its use when speaking can render it confusing. http://waywordradio.org

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Melissa in Charlotte, North Carolina, remembers her grandfather would describe something excellent as  better than snuff, but not near as dusty. The snuff in this case refers to finely ground smokeless tobacco. Variants include finer than snuff, not near as dusty and better than snuff, gooder than taters, as well as gooder than taters, better than snuff, and gooder than snuff, sweeter than a Sunday hymn. All of these arose at a time when snuff was regarded as a healthy, fashionable stimulant, an idea echoed in phrases like up to snuff. http://waywordradio.org

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Knitters are creating temperature blankets, also known as weather blankets, by assigning colors to daily temperatures and stitching them into finished pieces. Makers involved in The Tempestry Project extend the practice by representing the weather from the past in their fiber art, crafting blankets, scarves, and other items that preserve climate records from previous decades. http://waywordradio.org

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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.