Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
Does Yoda speak 'real' English? Is it 'a real trouper' or 'a real trooper'?
Episode 1190
1190. This week, we look at what makes Yoda's English special, and we look at the difference between “trooper” and “trouper,” including whether singu…
4 weeks ago
Everyone has a story to tell, and why your memoir matters, with Grant Faulkner
Episode 1189
1189. This week, we talk to Grant Faulkner, co-founder of Memoir Nation and former executive director of NaNoWriMo, about what makes writing a memoir…
1 month ago
How ‘bee’s knees’ became high praise, and why do recipes sound so bossy?
Episode 1188
1188. This week, we look at how “the bee's knees” went from meaning something tiny to the cheeriest slang of the 1920s — and why it outlasted the cat…
1 month ago
Why your topic isn't a point (and how to fix it), with Joel Schwartzberg
Episode 1187
1187. Today, we talk to workplace communications coach and author Joel Schwartzberg about how to clearly and effectively get to the point, and he out…
1 month, 1 week ago
How many people is a 'troop'? Why spelling bees are called 'bees.'
Episode 1186
1186. This week, we look at why the word "troops" is surprisingly ambiguous and what style guides say about using it to refer to individual service m…
1 month, 1 week ago
The hidden logic of English spelling, with Colin Gorrie
Episode 1185
1185. Today, we look at why English spelling is secretly optimized for readers. Colin Gorrie, linguist and creator of the Dead Language Society newsl…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
How the Crusades gave us 'lingua franca.' 'That' or 'who' for animals? Doot doot doot
Episode 1184
1184. This week, we look at the history of lingua francas, from the original mix of Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Turkish used during the Cru…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Meeting the new editor, with AP Stylebook's Anna Jo Bratton
Episode 1183
1183. This week, we talk to Anna Jo Bratton about leading the committee that decides the rules for the "journalism bible." We look at how the team "p…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
Decoding the colon: AP vs. MLA style. Plus, words with no known origin.
Episode 1182
1182. This week, we solve the mystery of the colon: when do you actually need to capitalize the next word? We compare AP, Chicago, and MLA styles to …
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The hidden superpower of verbs, with Sarah L. Kaufman
Episode 1181
1181. This week, we talk to Sarah L. Kaufman about verbs. We look at why English is a "manner verb" superpower and why babies often learn preposition…
2 months ago