The anatomy of effective prose, and the poetry of anatomy. Ever wonder what it'd be like to audit a class taught by a famous writer? A graduate student's essay offers a taste of a semester studying with author Annie Dillard. Also, what did George Washington sound like when he spoke? We can make a few guesses based on his social class and a look at dialect changes in colonial America. Plus, where is your body's xiphoid (ZIFF-oyd) process? Also: inept vs. ept, ruly vs. unruly, gruntled vs. disgruntled, cross and pile, lick the cat over, anyone vs. anybody, bloody, and rock, paper, scissors vs. paper, scissors, rock. Listen to all episodes for free: https://waywordradio.org/ Support the show to keep episodes coming: https://waywordradio.org/donate Your responses, questions, and comments are welcomed at any time! https://waywordradio.org/contact words@waywordradio.org Listener line 1 (877) 929-9673 toll-free in the US and Canada Text/SMS +1 (619) 567-9673 Copyright Wayword, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices