Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchWhat Is Miami English?
Episode 263
A recent study suggests that a new dialect is emerging in the southern part of Florida. John explains.
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Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Report of the Trial of Levi Weeks
Episode 262
The trial transcript of a 225-year-old murder is filled with fascinating evidence of the way we used to talk. John explains.
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Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
I Got My Nails Did!
Episode 261
Many English verbs have three forms — sing, sang and sung, for example. The problem is that speakers seem to want only two. John explains.
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Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
To v. Too
Episode 260
Too — whether about excess, addition or contradiction — evolved from to. John explains.
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Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Picture of Health
Episode 259
Some languages adopt their “health” word from the concept of wholeness — a metaphor that makes perfect sense. Other languages, however, adopt their “health” word from trees. John explains.
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Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
The Right Stuff
Episode 258
Like the French word droit, English’s right has taken on a number of useful metaphorical meanings. John explains.
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Published on 2 years, 6 months ago
Age, Color, Origin, Material
Episode 257
In this favorite from the archives, John discusses some unwritten rules of English that can be remarkably difficult for a learner of English to master.
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Published on 2 years, 6 months ago
One for the Record Books
Episode 256
The word “record” can be broken down into two parts, the re and the cord. But what do those parts even mean? John explains.
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Published on 2 years, 7 months ago
Why Do People in Old Movies Talk Like That?
Episode 96
John is traveling this week and so we’re running a previous episode about the speech patterns of Bette Davis, George Gershwin, Louis Armstrong and countless other Americans of the 1930s. Why do they …
Published on 2 years, 7 months ago
Past Master
Episode 255
So many of our words have ugly associations that are particular to a historical time or event. Should we expunge them entirely from our vocabulary? Can we? John weighs in.
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Published on 2 years, 8 months ago