VOA Words and Their Stories

24 June 2011
Words and Their Stories: Mouth Expressions
Expressions that don't leave a bad taste in your mouth | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

17 June 2011
Words and Their Stories: Nose and Ear Expressions
The answer is as clear as the nose on your face | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

11 June 2011
Words and Their Stories: All About Eyes
Seeing eye to eye about these English expressions | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

04 June 2011
Words and Their Stories: English Expressions With Kick
This Is an Idea Worth Kicking Around | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

26 May 2011
Words and Their Stories: Hold On
Expressions using the word hold | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

12 May 2011
Words and Their Stories: Brass Tacks
Getting to the bottom of a great English expression | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

12 May 2011
Words and Their Stories: Bag Expressions
Don’t let the cat out of the bag | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

07 May 2011
Words and Their Stories: Top Brass
It is all work and no play around the boss | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

28 April 2011
Words and Their Stories: Water Expressions
Diving into a Sea of Terms | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

21 April 2011
Words and Their Stories: When the Cat’s Away
These expressions are the cat’s pajamas | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

16 April 2011
Words and Their Stories: Hobson’s Choice
Some choices are really not choices at all | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

09 April 2011
Words and Their Stories: Fish Expressions
These English expressions may sound a little fishy | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

26 March 2011
Words and Their Stories: Proverbs About How to Live
Listeners’ favorite expressions about how to live the good life | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

19 March 2011
Words and Their Stories: Hold Your Horses!
Some expressions straight from the horse’s mouth | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

12 March 2011
Words and Their Stories: Monkey Expressions
Expressions about tricky people or playful acts | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

05 March 2011
Words and Their Stories: Deep Six
Sailors who never want to see something again will give it the deep-six | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

24 February 2011
Words and Their Stories: Food Expressions, Part Three
Some food for thought | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

19 February 2011
Words and Their Stories: Food Expressions, Part Two
That’s the way the cookie crumbles | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

12 February 2011
Words and Their Stories: Food Expressions
Are you as cool as a cucumber? | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

05 February 2011
Words and Their Stories: Ace in the Hole
Terms that come from card games | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

29 January 2011
Words and Their Stories: Medical Expressions
Everyday expressions we use to describe someone's health | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

22 January 2011
Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 4
Ohio in the Midwest is called the Buckeye State. Rhode Island's nickname is Little Rhody | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

15 January 2011
Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 3
Third of a four-part series | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

08 January 2011
Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 2
Part two of a four-part series on nicknames for American states | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

04 January 2011
Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 1
A four-part series on nicknames for American states | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

24 December 2010
Words and Their Stories: Insect Expressions
Don't be bugged by these terms | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

18 December 2010
Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 3
Working hard to bring home the bacon | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

10 December 2010
Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 2
Does money really make the world go round? | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

04 December 2010
Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 1
What does it take to have a rich life? | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

27 November 2010
Words and Their Stories: Let's Do Business
Using words to make a profit in business | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

20 November 2010
Words and Their Stories: Feel The Pinch
The Pains of Economic Trouble | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

12 November 2010
Words and Their Stories: Proverbs, Part 2
More expressions about a common truth or belief | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

06 November 2010
Words and Their Stories: Proverbs, Part 1
Famous sayings about love, war and other issues | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

30 October 2010
Words and Their Stories: It Will Not Wash
Will your idea be a good one | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

23 October 2010
Words and Their Stories: Grapevine
When information spreads by word of mouth | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

16 October 2010
Words and Their Stories: Like a Rolling Stone
How an old proverb led to a popular rock and roll band, song and magazine | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

09 October 2010
Words and Their Stories: In the Red
Some expressions used in business and investing | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

02 October 2010
Words and Their Stories: Chickenfeed
Chickenfeed doesn't add up to much money | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

25 September 2010
Words and Their Stories: Baloney
Expressions used to describe false, wrong or foolish things | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

18 September 2010
Words and Their Stories: Numbers Part Two
Two heads are better than one. Part two of two stories about expressions that use numbers | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

08 September 2010
Words and Their Stories: Number One
Part one of two stories about expressions that use numbers | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

04 September 2010
Words and Their Stories: Apple Pie Order
When everything is just perfect | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

28 August 2010
Words and Their Stories: Easy as Falling Off a Log
Terms for situations that are easy and not so easy | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

21 August 2010
Words and Their Stories: Touch All Bases
Expressions from America's national pastime | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

14 August 2010
Words and Their Stories: Down to Earth
Expressions about people who treat everyone fairly and with respect | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

07 August 2010
Words and Their Stories: Belittle
Thomas Jefferson was the first to use this word | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

31 July 2010
Words and Their Stories: Computer Terms
Have You Googled Anyone Lately | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

24 July 2010
Words and Their Stories: Get Your Act Together
Some expressions that might be heard at business meetings | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

17 July 2010
Words and Their Stories: Put Your Heart at Rest
More expressions getting to the heart of the matter | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

11 July 2010
Words and Their Stories: Heart to Heart
Honest and truthful things come straight from the heart | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

11 July 2010
Words and Their Stories: Heart to Heart
The English language has many heartfelt expressions | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

02 July 2010
Words and Their Stories: Have a Heart
More expressions using the word heart | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

02 July 2010
Words and Their Stories: Fireworks
Fireworks can mean a great show of noisy anger, or something exciting | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

26 June 2010
Words and Their Stories: You Do Not Have to Be a Rocket Scientist
How did the expression begin? No one seems to know for sure | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

19 June 2010
Words and Their Stories: Mouth Expressions
You took the words right out of my mouth | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

12 June 2010
Words and Their Stories: Bird Words
Bird Words, Someone Who Eats Like a Bird Eats Very Little | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

04 June 2010
Words and Their Stories: Golden Rules and Golden Oldies
Some expressions are just golden | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

29 May 2010
Words and Their Stories: Dog Talk
A look at dog-related expressions | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

22 May 2010
Words and Their Stories: Green Expressions
The word can mean many things, including jealousy | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

14 May 2010
Words and Their Stories: Money Talks
Some business terms that will cost you | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

08 May 2010
Words and Their Stories: More Clothing Expressions
My friends sometimes call me a wolf in sheep’s clothing | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

01 May 2010
Words and Their Stories: Clothing Expressions
Let's see if we can name a few off the cuff | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

24 April 2010
Words and Their Stories: English Expressions That Don't Pan Out
Expressions that take us back to the days of the gold rush in California | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

17 April 2010
Words and Their Stories: Mayday
The French word is a call for help.

10 April 2010
Words and Their Stories: Swan Song
It was my final effort and my finest work. It was my swan song | WORDS AND THEIR STORIES

03 April 2010
Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Philadelphia and Boston
From the City of Brotherly Love to Beantown.

27 March 2010
Words and Their Stories: From Couch Potato to Cabin Fever
American terms to describe active and inactive lifestyles.

13 March 2010
Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for New Orleans and Las Vegas
From the Big Easy to Sin City.

06 March 2010
Words and Their Stories: Military Expressions
Terms used to describe members of the US armed forces.

25 February 2010
Words and Their Stories: Where Did 'OK' Come From?
A look at what may be the most commonly used word in the world.

20 February 2010
Words and Their Stories: Fall Guy
Is the fall guy really the guilty one?  Transcript of radio broadcast:

13 February 2010
Words and Their Stories: Great Scott
There are many terms for expressing surprise, shock and anger.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

06 February 2010
Words and Their Stories: All About Names
Some names have special meanings in popular American expressions.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

30 January 2010
Words and Their Stories: Farm Expressions
English expressions related to agriculture.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

23 January 2010
Scott Joplin, 1867-1917: King of Ragtime Music
Joplin wrote 60 musical works during the early 1900s. Many of them are still popular today. Transcript of radio broadcast:

22 January 2010
Words and Their Stories: Back, Shoulders and Chest
English idioms that are head and shoulders above the rest.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

17 January 2010
Words and Their Stories: A Chip on Your Shoulder
What it means when people are said to have a chip on their shoulderr. Transcript of radio broadcast:

08 January 2010
Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Chicago
A lot of hot and cold air in The Windy City

02 January 2010
Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Los Angeles
From the Big Apple to the Big Orange.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

24 December 2009
Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for New York City
Taking a bite out of the Big Apple. Transcript of radio broadcast:

19 December 2009
Words and Their Stories: Santa Claus
The story of the man in the red suit who brings gifts to children at Christmas. Transcript of radio broadcast:

12 December 2009
Words and Their Stories: The Cold, Hard Reality
English expressions that will leave you out in the cold.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

05 December 2009
Words and Their Stories: Hotheaded Hot Shot
Here is your hot line to heated English expressions.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

28 November 2009
Words and Their Stories: Bigwig
Terms for people who are powerful, at least in their own minds.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

23 November 2009
Words and Their Stories: Ace in the Hole
Terms that come from card games.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

14 November 2009
Words and Their Stories: I Feel Very Blue
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

07 November 2009
Words and Their Stories: Wildcat
Americans use the names of animals in many ways.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

31 October 2009
Words and Their Stories: Nuts and Bolts
Mechanical English with a tight fit  Transcript of radio broadcast:

23 October 2009
Words and Their Stories: Losing It
On Words and Their Stories: It Can Be Hard When You Lose Control

15 October 2009
Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 3
Working hard to bring home the bacon.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

10 October 2009
Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 2
Does money really make the world go round?  Transcript of radio broadcast:

01 October 2009
Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 1
What does it take to have a rich life? Transcript of radio broadcast:

25 September 2009
Words and Their Stories: When the Cat’s Away
These expressions are the cat’s pajamas. Transcript of radio broadcast:

18 September 2009
Words and Their Stories: If a Student's Grades Hit Bottom, It Is Time to Hit the Books
Expressions involving the word hit. Transcript of radio broadcast:

11 September 2009
Words and Their Stories: The Answer Is as Clear as the Nose on Your Face
Expressions involving the nose and the ears. Transcript of radio broadcast:

02 September 2009
Words and Their Stories: All About Eyes
A look at terms related to eyes. Transcript of radio broadcast: 28

August 2009
Words and Their Stories: More Expressions That Are Old and True
Proverbs are popular around the world. Transcript of radio broadcast:

21 August 2009
Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 4
Ohio in the midwest is called The Buckeye States. Rhode Island's nickname is Little Rhody. Transcript of radio broadcast:

15 August 2009
Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 3
Third of a four-part series. Transcript of radio broadcast:

08 August 2009
Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 2
A four-part series. Transcript of radio broadcast:

02 August 2009
Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 1
A four-part series. Transcript of radio broadcast:

26 July 2009
Words and Their Stories: Two Heads Are Better Than One
A number of English expressions using numbers.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

17 July 2009
Words and Their Stories: Pulling a Fast One
A number of terms based on the number one. Transcript of radio broadcast:

12 July 2009
Words And Their Stories: Hold Your Horses!
Some expressions straight from the horse’s mouth. Transcript of radio broadcast:

04 July 2009
Words and Their Stories: Fireworks
What is all the noise about? Transcript of radio broadcast:

26 June 2009
Words and Their Stories: Insect Expressions
Don't be bugged by these terms. Transcript of radio broadcast:

19 June 2009
Words and Their Stories: Like a Rolling Stone
How an old proverb led to a popular rock and roll band, song and magazine.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

11 June 2009
Words and Their Stories: Get Your Act Together
Some expressions that might be heard at business meetings. Transcript of radio broadcast:

05 June 2009
Easy As Falling Off a Log: Not Much Effort Involved!
It is easier to fall off a log than to stay on it.Transcript of radio broadcast:

29 May 2009
Heart to Heart: Some Heartfelt Expressions
Do you wear your heart on your sleeve? Transcript of radio broadcast:

22 May 2009
Deep-Six: Fishing for Sailors' Expressions
Terms from the sea. Transcript of radio broadcast:

16 May 2009
Buff: Are You a Buff About Something?
Do you have a strong, special interest? Transcript of radio broadcast:

13 May 2009
A Colorful Exhibit Tells About Amish Traditions
Also: A question from Russia about the music of Scott Joplin. Transcript of radio broadcast:

09 May 2009
Water: Diving Into a Sea of Terms
Transcript of radio broadcast:

02 May 2009
'Hair' – More Than a Rock Musical
A story using expressions with the word hair. Transcript of radio broadcast:

25 April 2009
In the Red: When a Business is Losing Money
Some expressions used in business and investing. Transcript of radio broadcast:

18 April 2009
Computer Terms: Have You Googled Someone Lately?
Terms that come from the world of computers. Transcript of radio broadcast:

11 April 2009
Baseball Terms: This Is a Whole New Ballgame
Expressions from America's national pastime. Transcript of radio broadcast:

05 April 2009
Proverbs: Ideas About How to Live
These expressions are wise and true. Transcript of radio broadcast:

21 March 2009
Take This Medicine: The Story of the Sign 'Rx'
How a special sign came to mean a doctor’s prescription.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

14 March 2009
Apple Pie Order: When Everything Is Just Perfect
Expressions about apples. Transcript of radio broadcast:

07 March 2009
Back to Basics: Staying Down to Earth
Some expression about people who treat everyone fairly and with respect.   Transcript of radio broadcast:

02 March 2009
Proverbs: Some Listeners’ Favorite Sayings
More expressions about a common truth or belief. Transcript of radio broadcast:

21 February 2009
Heard It on the Grapevine: What? Who Told You That?
When information spreads by word of mouth. Transcript of radio broadcast:

14 February 2009
Have a Heart
Some English expressions that use the word heart. Transcript of radio broadcast:

08 February 2009
To Buffalo: To Win by Trick or Threat
Expressions that describe winning by any means. Transcript of radio broadcast:

30 January 2009
Belittle: Thomas Jefferson First Used This Word
The third president of the United States was not to be belittled. Transcript of radio broadcast:

23 January 2009
Holding the Bag
American expressions that use the word bag.  Transcript of radio broadcast:

17 January 2009
Touching All Bases: Baseball Rules!
Some terms that come from the American pastime. Transcript of radio broadcast:

10 January 2009
Circus: Some Agree It Is the 'Greatest Show on Earth'
How a simple word came to mean a place of fun and wonder. Transcript of radio broadcast:

03 January 2009
Baloney: It's Just Not True
Expressions used to describe false, wrong or foolish things. Transcript of radio broadcast:

27 December 2008
Hang: Don't Get Excited, Just Hang Loose
Expressions that will have you hanging on every word. Transcript of radio broadcast:

21 December 2008
Proverbs: Famous Sayings About Love, War and Other Issues
Examples of proverbs that Americans use. Transcript of radio broadcast:

13 December 2008
Hobson's Choice: When There Is Really No Choice at All
Making choices is necessary, but not always easy. Transcript of radio broadcast:

06 December 2008
Dog Talk: Every Dog Has His Day
A look at dog-related expressions. Transcript of radio broadcast:

22 November 2008
Mouth Expressions: The Experience Left a Bad Taste in My Mouth
English expressions using the word mouth. Transcript of radio broadcast:

14 November 2008
You Do Not Have to Be a Rocket Scientist to Understand This
Rocket scientists can have problems just like everyone else. Transcript of radio broadcast:

08 November 2008
Let's Do Business: I Made a Sweetheart Deal Last Month
Using words to make a profit in business. Transcript of radio broadcast:

02 November 2008
Too Much Time Watching TV?  You May Be a Couch Potato
Expressions about how people spend their time. Transcript of radio broadcast

25 October 2008
What Does the Average Joe Think?
Expressions that use common American names. Transcript of radio broadcast:

17 October 2008
Who Put Lipstick on That Pig?
Expressions about pigs, hogs and sows. Transcript of radio broadcast:

15 October 2008
American Election Expressions
Some examples of American expressions about voting and elections. Transcript of radio broadcast:

20 September 2008
Let's Get Down to Brass Tacks
Getting to the bottom of a great English expression.

24 August 2008
Fall Guy: He Took the Blame for Someone Else
Is the fall guy really the guilty one?  Transcript of radio broadcast:

17 August 2008
Doughboy: Military Expressions
Terms for members of the US armed forces. Transcript of radio broadcast:

10 August 2008
Eureka: The Word Just Burst Out!
A look at an English expression that is losing its place in the language. Transcript of radio broadcast:

03 August 2008
Green: More Than Just a Color
The word can mean many things, including jealousy. Transcript of radio broadcast:

27 July 2008
Pan: The Critic Panned My Work
English expressions that don't quite pan out. Transcript of radio broadcast:

12 July 2008
It Will Not Wash: Does It Work, or Not?
Will your idea be a good one? Transcript of radio broadcast:

06 July 2008
Bigwig: Such an Important Person!
Terms for people who are powerful, at least in their own mind. Transcript of radio broadcast: