1120. This week, we look at tricky uses of the word "epicenter" and how people feel about using it metaphorically. We also look at where the word “brother” came from and how it branched into “bro,” “boy,” and even “buddy.”

The "brother" segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of "Like Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.

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Can you use ‘epicenter’ for positive things? The etymology of ‘bro.’ Mukwonago, Oconomowoc.

Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.

Can you use ‘epicenter’ for positive things? The etymology of ‘bro.’ Mukwonago, Oconomowoc.