Podcast Episodes

Loose as a Goose

Episode 295

Is there anything particularly loose about a goose — or does that idiom exist only because it rhymes? Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo investigate.

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12 hours ago

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The Sound of a Car Backshifting

Episode 294

John McWhorter on language change — from the meaning of wit to the pronunciation of automobile. Plus, a defense of redundancy!

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2 weeks ago

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How Do Words Get into the Dictionary?

Episode 293

⁠⁠Getting new words into the dictionary is a rigorous, time consuming process — with no guarantee of success.

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4 weeks ago

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Look It Up! The Story of the Dictionary.

Episode 292

"Unabridged" author Stefan Fatsis on the fastidious practice of lexicography and the heiress who amassed the largest collection of dictionaries in hi…

1 month ago

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Open Season for Racists

Episode 291

Like 'analog watch' and 'snail mail,' 'openly racist' is a retronym — John McWhorter and Mike Vuolo explain.

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1 month, 2 weeks ago

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Playing the Angles

Episode 290

What does St. John the Apostle have in common with Bernie Bernbaum, the sniveling grifter from Miller's Crossing? Angling!

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1 month, 4 weeks ago

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You Get the Gist

Episode 289

During an appearance on The Gist with Mike Pesca, we discussed the curious backstory of, you guessed it, the word "gist."

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2 months ago

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Derek Guy on the Language of Clothing

Episode 288

A prolific writer on men's fashion, Guy discusses the vocabulary of outerwear and why dress is a form of social language.

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2 months, 2 weeks ago

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McWhorter vs. McWhorter

Episode 287

The world was shocked by a controversial article published by "John McWhorter." Here, he sets the record straight.

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3 months ago

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A Toast to Toast

Episode 286

Raise a glass to browned bread ... now you're toast!

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 286: "A Toast to Toast." With Bob…

3 months, 1 week ago

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