About Martha

Martha Barnette is a journalist who writes about language. Along with lexicographer and slang expert Grant Barrett, she co-hosts the popular radio show "A Way with Words."

"A Way with Words" is like "Car Talk," only for language lovers. It's available via podcast. Martha joined the show in 2004, sharing the microphone with bestselling grammar maven Richard Lederer until his retirement in 2006.

Martha holds an undergraduate degree from Vassar College and did graduate work in classical languages at the University of Kentucky. During her daily newspapering years, she was a reporter at the Washington Post and an editorial writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal.

As the photo shows, Martha's a verbivore (a devourer of words). She's also the author of three books about word origins, including Ladyfingers & Nun's Tummies: A Lighthearted Look at How Foods Got Their Names, selected by The Los Angeles Times for its list of the "100 Best Books of the Year."

When she's not fossicking through dictionaries (wonderful word, "fossick"), Martha's writing for various national publications. A former contributing editor at Self and Allure, she's also written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Prevention, Real Simple, Ladies Home Journal, Women's Sports & Fitness, BARK Magazine, My Generation, and Salon.

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