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A Strange Use of 'Said.' Kith and Kin. New Scrabble Words!
Episode 903
903. A listener heard some jargon, and then got annoyed by "said" jargon, so we explored why. Plus, who the heck are your kith? And finally, we got …
3 years, 7 months ago
Why Today's 'Thank You' Is Different from an Ancient 'Thank You.' Gerunds.
Episode 902
902. Language reflects culture, so it's no surprise that giving thanks hundreds of years ago was different from giving thanks today. We have the fasc…
3 years, 7 months ago
WWII Words. A 'bit' of an Issue. Kleenex.
Episode 901
901. WWII spawned a bunch of new words, including "boffin" and "bonkers." We'll look into the history of these fun words and more in honor of Veteran…
3 years, 7 months ago
The Medieval Origins of the @ Symbol. Hyphens in Dual-Heritage Terms. Pitch.
Episode 900
900. The story of the @ symbol is much bigger than email. In fact, it was used for hundreds of years before being saved from obscurity by the inventi…
3 years, 7 months ago
The Difference Between Magic and Magick. Some Fascinating Spooky Words. Holy Fagachi!
Episode 899
899. Believe it or not, "magick" isn't just a funky way of spelling "magic." The two spellings have different meanings. Plus, we look at the unusual …
3 years, 8 months ago
Randall Munroe of xkcd: Language Chat and Weird Bee Laws.
Episode 898
898. Randall Munroe joined me this week to talk about his language-themed xkcd cartoons, his simple-language project Up Goer V, his biggest pet peeve…
3 years, 8 months ago
The Subconscious Rules of Conversation. The Double-Word Problem. Cookie Fish.
Episode 897
897. Have you ever written yourself into a "that that" or a "had had" situation and wondered how you got there? It doesn't mean you're a bad writer! …
3 years, 8 months ago
Wick-ED Fun Pronunciations. Deviled Eggs.
Episode 896
896. If you've ever wondered why we pronounce the "-ed" at the end of "wicked" (and "jagged," "beloved" and more), but don't at the end of words like…
3 years, 8 months ago
When Is a Man a Widow? Where Do We Get the Word 'Blurb'? Sci-Fi Versus Fantasy. Bert and Ernie.
Episode 895
895. A listener asked why he's hearing people refer to men as "widows," and we found a surprising history. Also, I recently mentioned a blurb I wrote…
3 years, 9 months ago
Mood & Atmosphere in Fiction. An Interview with Joshua Essoe
Episode 894
894. Whether you're getting ready for National Novel Writing Month or just want to watch movies or read novels with more insight, this interview with…
3 years, 9 months ago