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Feghoots: Groan-worthy story puns. How your brain stores words.
Episode 1170
1170. This week, we look at "feghoots," the pun-based stories popularized by writers like Isaac Asimov, and why they are designed to make you roll yo…
3 months ago
The ‘Tale of Two Dictionaries,’ with Peter Sokolowski
Episode 1169
1169. In this bonus segment, originally released in November, we look at Peter Sokolowski's "Tale of Two Dictionaries," tracing the word "dictionary"…
3 months, 1 week ago
Why leprechauns are shoemakers. The March equinox versus the vernal equinox.
Episode 1168
1168. This week, we look at the word "leprechaun" and its surprisingly wild origin story involving shoemaking, ancient Rome, and wolf-men. Then we lo…
3 months, 1 week ago
'Mini' and 'factoid' don't mean what you think, with Jess Zafarris
Episode 1167
1167. In this bonus segment that originally ran for Grammarpaloozians last October, we look at the surprising true origins of words that often fool p…
3 months, 2 weeks ago
Is the Academy Awards singular or plural? Writing about time.
Episode 1166
1166. This week, we look the grammar of the Academy Awards and how to avoid an "illogical plot twist" in your sentences. Then, we look at common time…
3 months, 2 weeks ago
Mapping the American Tongue: The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE), with Joan Houston Hall
Episode 1165
1165. Today, we talk with Joan Houston Hall to look at the monumental task of documenting how Americans speak. We look at the Dictionary of American …
3 months, 3 weeks ago
The history of the octothorpe. Sir Fragalot and sentence fragments. Dribzle.
Episode 1164
1164. This week, we look at the origin of the octothorpe — also known as the pound sign or hashtag — and why it has so many different names. Then, we…
3 months, 3 weeks ago
How 'be like' took over the world, with Sali Tagliamonte
Episode 1163
1163. This week, we look at what it’s like to be a "language detective" with Sali Tagliamonte and how she used her own teenagers as a research lab. W…
4 months ago
Why 'Tonka' sounds big and 'bitty' sounds small. Why you CAN start a sentence with 'because.'
Episode 1162
1162. This week, we look at why some names just "feel right" while others don't and how vowels like "ee" create associations with smallness and sweet…
4 months ago
WHY WE USE ALL CAPS TO SHOUT, with Glenn Fleishman
Episode 1161
1161. Today, we look at the history of writing in all-uppercase letters. Tech historian Glenn Fleishman explains how capitals transitioned from a sig…
4 months, 1 week ago