Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchYou Know. Doppelganger. Trademarks. Funnily. Chicken Milk.
Episode 871
871. It's "listener question extravaganza" time, so I have some quick hits on discourse markers such as "you know," where we get the word "doppelgang…
3 years, 11 months ago
I Cannot Tell a Lie (but I Can Mislead)! And Sometimes People Do It With Percentages.
Episode 870
870. We look at the linguistic difference between lying and misleading, and then because people often lie with numbers, we look at the difference bet…
3 years, 11 months ago
How Aphasia Causes Difficulty Speaking. Chairdrobe.
Episode 869
869. Prodded by Bruce Willis's family's announcement that he is leaving acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, we revisited language disorders, a…
3 years, 11 months ago
Why Tired People Talk About Being 'Out of Spoons.' Why Nouns Are More Complicated Than You May Think.
Episode 868
A few months ago, I started to notice people talking about spoons in a weird way, so I investigated and found that people are using an interesting co…
3 years, 11 months ago
Barracking, Sheilas and Shouts: How the Irish Influenced Australian English
Episode 867
"Barracking," "sheilas" and "shouts": How the Irish influenced Australian English. Plus, what makes "NASA" different from "FBI."
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4 years ago
The Oxford Comma. And Should You Start a Sentence with 'And'?
Episode 866
Have you ever wondered why it's called the "Oxford comma"? We have the answer to that and many more questions you may have about this controversial p…
4 years ago
Is 'Materiel' Just a Fancy Pronunciation of 'Material'? Are Binomials the Same Across Languages?
Episode 865
A listener wondered about the word "materiel." What's its deal (and is it related to "personnel")? Plus, "pepper and salt." "Groom and bride." "White…
4 years ago
Why Do We Cringe at 'Pepper and Salt'? Why 'Square' Is Uncool. Quickquish.
Episode 864
"Sticks and stones." "Bride and groom." "Heads or tails." Some word pairs almost always appear in a specific order, and linguists have been investiga…
4 years ago
What's Square About a Square Meal? How to Use Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces. Guck.
Episode 863
The idea of a square meal goes back to the 1800s and possibly mining towns, but the word "square" itself has a longer history. Plus, admit it! You do…
4 years, 1 month ago
Are People Using 'Commiserate' Wrong? The Origin of (the Word) 'Influenza.' Hersband.
Episode 862
How the "Witch of Wall Street" relates to the word "commiserate." Plus, the interesting origin of "influenza" and other disease names.
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4 years, 1 month ago