How Language Bends To The Coronavirus Pandemic, The History Of Grocery Shopping

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time
Person wearing a facemask
A person wears a face covering to help prevent the spread of coronavirus while using a cellphone, Monday evening, Nov. 16, 2020, in Lewiston, Maine. Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo

Public radio co-hosts of a show dedicated to language discuss how the pandemic has changed the way we speak. And a food journalist shares some of her research into the history of the grocery store, and offers perspective on how we’re currently viewing trips to the supermarket during a pandemic.

Featured in this Show

  • How COVID-19 Has Changed Language

    Before 2020, you likely never heard the phrase “zoom bombing” or “flatten the curve”. That’s because a lot of words and phrases that became popular this year is because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk to the hosts of “A Way With Words” to talk about how our language is changing.

  • The Grocery Store Trip Has Become Special, But It's Been Secretly Shaping Our Lives For A Long Time

    Over the last few months, grocery shopping has gone from being a necessary-but-not-beloved errand to being at times the only errand, an excursion even. We talk with a journalist about her deep dive into the history of the supermarket, a frequently visited, but underappreciated, part of American society.

Episode Credits

  • Kealey Bultena Host
  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Natalie Guyette Producer
  • Michele Gerard Good Technical Director
  • Martha Barnette Guest
  • Grant Barrett Guest
  • Bianca Bosker Guest

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