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Martha Barnette

@marthabarnette.bsky.social
1.7K followers 2.4K following 259 posts

Co-host, “A Way with Words” public radio show. Speaking requests: info@marthabarnette.com Author of the bestselling FRIENDS WITH WORDS: ADVENTURES IN LANGUAGELAND marthabarnette.com #etymology #writing #books #words @wayword

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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Meet my fellow San Diegan, Darth Vader. #sandiego
gizmodo.com
'The Emperor Is a Fan of Flock': Darth Vader Speaks at City Council Meeting
"This council was elected to serve the police, not the public," said Vader.
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Now you can get FRIENDS WITH WORDS in paperback! (That’s his heavy breathing, not mine.)
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Secondhand booksellers in UK and Ireland suspect AI firms behind ‘strange’ bulk orders
Development comes after Anthropic was found to have spent millions on books to scan for ‘data acquisition’
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Some wonderful recommendations here. I’m especially looking forward to digging into Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea and There Is No Place for Us. 🙏
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Yes indeed! It’s an action film starring an action hero. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but this hero’s hardly complicated. That said, I loved Circe’s pork-in-progress!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
People keep asking what I think of the movie. Here, @wmarybeard.bsky.social explains it all for you. 🙏 to @cartersherman.bsky.social for this splendid interview.
theguardian.com
Mary Beard on The Odyssey and how empires fall – Stateside with Kai and Carter
Christopher Nolan’s new adaption of The Odyssey is an absolute monster of a hit, grossing $264m in its opening weekend. But celebrated classicist Mary Beard tells host Carter Sherman that Nolan’s film...
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Lauren Hall-Lew (she/her) @lhlew.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Haben Girma rocks!!! Illuminating, powerful, and also funny :)
habengirma.com
France made me a Knight, and my mission is Braille!
Official website of Haben Girma, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and advocate.
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Yes, I saw The Odyssey, and yes of course, I have thoughts. But I’ll save them until more folks have seen it (except to say that Samantha Norton must be a goddess in real life).
Ancient Greek red-on-black vase depicting Odysseus & Circe
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
No mention of widdershins OR deasil???
theguardian.com
Humans prefer to walk anticlockwise, scientists find – but reason is unclear
From Spain to Japan, experiments have repeatedly shown a left-turn bias, but exact mechanic ‘is still an open question’
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
This Tuesday night. Join us!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Hey, #sandiego! Take a break and feed your mind along with fellow language lovers as we celebrate some wonderful words! It’s free and open to the public, but you must register.
eventbrite.com
A Way With Words - An Evening with Martha Barnette
Join us for an evening with the author of "Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland" and co-host of "A Way with Words" radio program
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
“At least they nailed Odysseus’ Boston accent.” www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie... #language
hollywoodreporter.com
‘The Odyssey’: Everybody Using American Accents Is Definitely a Choice
"Let's go!" Fans thrown by American accents, modern speech in new trailer for ancient Greece epic: "It sounds like they're outside a Starbucks."
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Pleased to learn a new-to-me phrase today!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Sheesh. Looking at my new passport photo and all I can think is “Girl, who licked the red off of YOUR candy??” 😐
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Super-fun live show by @susiedentwords.bsky.social live show in Basingstoke today. Agreed that we need a word for that first wonderful whiff of autumn. Mind the lexical gap!
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I’m Dave Williams. You’re probably not @skirwingle.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Logophiles assemble! Just back from @susiedentwords.bsky.social at the Haymarket, where I found myself sitting next to @marthabarnette.bsky.social from 'A Way With Words' 📖
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie says welcome to the nerd zone
Alt: Stephen Colbert saying "Welcome to the nerd zone, my friend."
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Woot! Congrats, y’all!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Cat got your etymology?
history.com
The Curious—and Creepy—Origins of 'Cat Got Your Tongue?' | HISTORY
Three creepy theories attempt to explain the phrase’s origins.
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
This is gonna be fun!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Props to my dear friend Lillian Faderman for this splendid review of the new film based on her book SCOTCH VERDICT! www.theguardian.com/film/2026/fe...
theguardian.com
The Education of Jane Cumming review – sexuality, race and a real school scandal
Sophie Heldman’s drama about two teachers accused of lesbianism by a pupil is exhilaratingly candid
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Happy birthday, Chuck D!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
“In other words, Spanish is not a foreign language. It's woven all through the history, culture, and communities of the United States, especially the Southwest, California, and Florida. You cannot name the most important parts of California without Spanish.” Thanks, @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social‬
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Nancy Friedman @fritinancy.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
January links! Credits: @mashedradish.bsky.social @marthabarnette.bsky.social @paperairplane.pub @stancarey.bsky.social @stronglang.bsky.social @grammargirl.bsky.social & more! fritinancy.substack.com/p/january-li...
fritinancy.substack.com
January linkstack
New newsletters, a new print magazine (!), the AI naming crisis, and more.
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
But wait — where’s Useless Etymology??
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
“ . . made my first foray into audiobooks with my girl Martha Barnette’s impossibly delightful (and wonderfully narrated) Friends with Words.” Thanks, The Millions! themillions.com/2025/12/a-ye...
themillions.com
A Year in Reading: 2025
The Millions has been on hiatus for the last year, so we’ve had to scale back our editorial output to just our seasonal Most Anticipated lists. But we couldn’t let 2025 go by without bringing out our ...
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
A chewy chat about aging, regrets, goals, and adjusting—and how words change as we do. Check out this @oldstermag.bsky.social questionnaire:
oldster.substack.com
This is 67: Public Radio Host Martha Barnette Responds to The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire
"I did kind of like going into a store where the salesperson needed ID, looked at my driver license, and said, 'Oh! You’re eligible for our wisdom discount!'”
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
When it comes to books, I guess you can judge a cover. Here’s a spectacular list from @literaryhub.bsky.social. I’m delighted it includes the gorgeous cover of FRIENDS WITH WORDS. Richly deserved! The whole list is a treat for the eyes.
lithub.com
The 173 Best Book Covers of 2025
Per Literary Hub tradition, I am pleased to present the best book covers of the year—as chosen by some of the industry’s best book cover designers. This year, I asked 52 designers to share their fa…
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Listen in and nerd out! Lots of fun chatting about words and wonderful books 🙂📚
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Great time sharing the joy of language with Arik and his listeners!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Fun chat about memoir and hypnagogic inspiration with @saribotton.bsky.social (“Hypnagogic”? Hint: It’s a great excuse for a nap! 😁) #memoir #writersofbluesky #amwriting #readinglist #bookchat
open.substack.com
The Memoir Land Author Questionnaire #156: Martha Barnette
"If you have deep knowledge of a subject and want to share it widely, consider framing it within stories from your life."
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Well, THAT’s a nice little bit of good news amid all the other mishegoss! Friends with Words made USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Booklist last week. Huzzah!
Cover of Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland by Martha Barnette, plus the USA TODAY Best-Selling Booklist badge
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Taking my own damn escalator ride! See y’all tonight in Lexington!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Word Nerdery alert: Come peep us at the South Burlington Library in VT tonight!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
What a light, what a life. 💔
nytimes.com
Susan Stamberg, a Longtime Voice of NPR, Is Dead at 87
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Hey, book lovers in the South! I’ll be there this weekend, in conversation with @stefanfatsis.bsky.social to talk about his new book and mine. Join us! #friendswithwords 📚
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
I somehow missed “groksucker” until just now.
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
theguardian.com
Do you speak Sylheti? Tamajaght? Klingon? Inside the Festival for Endangered Languages
Every two weeks, a language is lost – and by the end of the century, half of the world’s 7,000 tongues could have vanished. We meet the artist using eyeliner and chokeberries to rescue everything from...
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Looking forward to chatting with Spain’s largest English speaking talk radio station shortly!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
My book makes this Arkansas library’s “Most Requested” list. Yay #libraries and #books! 📚👓
hotsr.com
At the library | Hot Springs Sentinel Record
Top 5 requests
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Super-fun interview on WORT-FM about my mom, playing the Pink Panther theme, how Ritalin was named, and my upcoming appearance in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 26! www.wortfm.org/martha-barne...
wortfm.org
Martha Barnette on Words, Teaching, and Her New Book - WORT-FM 89.9
Martha Barnette joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss her new book Friends with Words, her radio show A Way with Words, and why language matters.
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
So much fun to chew the fat with y’all! 🙏🏼
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
I’m so looking forward to signing #FriendswithWords and meeting other book lovers at this festival next month!
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Thanks, @npr, for choosing #FriendswithWords as your Book of the Day!
npr.org
‘Friends with Words’ is a book about language, from word origins to regional dialects : NPR's Book of the Day
For Martha Barnette, griping about grammatical pet peeves is one of the least interesting ways to talk about language. Instead, the co-host of the radio show “A Way with Words” says she’d rather think...
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Word of the Day: struthonian, or “Tending to ‘hide one’s head in the sand.”
worldwidewords.org
Struthonian
An invention of the late Arthur Koestler, <em>Struthonian</em> is extremely rare but not quite defunct.
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
Come hang out with @grantbarrett.com and me tomorrow, 11:30 a.m, Main Stage. I’ll sign my new book afterwards! 📘
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
What a fun, uplifting night with the hosts of @dailybeanspod.com! @benitezzzz.bsky.social and I are still laughing …
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Reposted by Martha Barnette
Michael Erard @michaelerard.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
How to find public radio stations in the US that need funding, now that public broadcasting funding has been stopped. adoptastation.org
adoptastation.org
Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media
Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
Where do you get yr audiobooks? Asking for a FRIENDS WITH WORDS, which drops today!😁(Didja know you can support indie bookstores by getting ‘em from Libro.fm?)
Audiobook cover for Martha Barnette’s book Friends with Words from Libro.fm
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Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
Oh, Michael. To have this kind of praise from a linguist and writer I admire so much—who wrote the book on polyglots, no less—leaves me . . . well, wordless. Seriously. Thank you so much! I’m bowled over.
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