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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…
4 years, 4 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…
4 years, 5 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, 5 months 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, 5 months 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, 5 months 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, 6 months 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, 6 months 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, 6 months ago
Do You Call In, Out, or Off Sick? How Kids Learn Language. Hexaboobiated.
Episode 861
People often tell me they hear others say they'll be absent from work in a different way than they're used to hearing, so I looked into who says what…
4 years, 6 months ago
Tips for Learning a New Language: The Fluent Show
Episode 860
Kerstin Cable, host of "The Fluent Show" shares her tips and enthusiasm for learning new languages. We talked about what to do if you're stalled lear…
4 years, 7 months ago