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LINGUA FRANCA
To The Best of Our Knowledge
from Wisconsin Public Radio
"My solid pigeon, that drape is a killer-diller,
an E-flat Dillinger, a bit of a fly thing all on one page."
Any idea what that means? It's hipster slang for "My, that's
a nice dress you're wearing." In this hour of To the Best
of Our Knowledge the roots of hipster slang – old movies,
pulp novels and blues songs. Also, singer-songwriter John Wesley
Harding - he says the lyrics always come first.
SEGMENT 1:
For eight years Anu Garg has been sending
e-mail to a half million people in two hundred countries around
the world, but it's not spam. It's "A Word a Day," a
message with a definition, the word's etymology and an example
of how to use it. He tells Jim Fleming all about it, and about
his new book "A Word A Day: A Romp Through Some of the Most
Unusual and Intriguing Words in English." Also, Coyle
& Sharpe offer to exchange a word for a cake. And Ilan
Stavans explains how speaking four languages give him a sense
of self. He talked to Steve Paulson on the publication of his
book "On Borrowed Words: a Memoir of Language."
SEGMENT 2:
Max Decharne can tell you lots of things
no one will understand any more. He's a "solid pigeon"
and "a bit of a fly thing," as he tells Steve Paulson.
His book "Straight From the Fridge, Dad: A Dictionary of
Hipster Slang," will reveal the meanings of "wordsville"
and "mug-snappers."
SEGMENT 3:
John Wesley Harding was plain Wesley Harding
Stace when he first heard Bob Dylan's album, and working toward
his Phd at Cambridge. It should be no surprise, then, that as
a singer-songwriter he believes strongly in the value of lyrics
Cassette copies are available
at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 031-02-09-A.
................................................................
Books:
- Max Decharne, Straight from the Fridge,
Dad: A Dictionary of Hipster Slang (Broadway Books)
- Anu Garg, A Word A Day: A Romp Through Some
of the Most Unusual and Intriguing Words in English (Wiley)
- Ilan Stavans, On Borrowed Words: A Memoir
of Language (Viking)
Links:
Music:
- -- "Definition Of Love"/NRBQ
from the CD, "Tiddlywinks" (Rounder/Red Rooster)
http://www.nrbq.com/
- -- "Swinghouse"/Gerry Mulligan Quartet
from the box set, "The Beat Generation" (Rhino/Wordbeat)
http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=70281
-
-- "Manhattan Fable"/Babs Gonzales from
the box set, "The Beat Generation" (Rhino/Wordbeat)
http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=70281
-
-- "Yip Roc Heresy"/Slim Gaillard from
the box set, "The Beat Generation" (Rhino/Wordbeat)
http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=70281
-
-- "Rockhouse"/The Ernie Freeman Combo
from the CD, "Ultralounge Volume Eleven: Organs in Orbit"
http://www.ultralounge.com/
-
-- "Merry-go-round"/John Wesley Harding
from the CD, "Swings and Roundabouts" (wow4)
http://www.wesweb.net/recordings/d4/index.html
-
-- "Ordinary Weekend"/John Wesley Harding
from the album, "Why We Fight" (Sire/Reprise)
-
-- "Wooden Overcoat"/John Wesley Harding
from the album, "Awake: The New Edition" (Appleseed
Recordings)
-
-- "The Governess"/John Wesley Harding
from the CD, "Swings and Roundabouts" (wow4)
http://www.wesweb.net/recordings/d4/index.html
-
-- "Darwin"/John Wesley Harding from
the CD, "Swings and Roundabouts" (wow4)
http://www.wesweb.net/recordings/d4/index.html
-
-- "Dark, Dark Heart"/John Wesley Harding
from the CD, "Here Comes The Groom" (Sire/Reprise)
-
-- "Peter's Shuffle"/Grievous
Angels from the CD, "One Job Town" (Stony Plain Records)
http://www.stonyplainrecords.com/
Distribution dates:
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Questions and comments can
be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org
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