Shadowdabbled. Moon-blanched. Augusttremulous. William Faulkner often used odd adjectives like these. But why? Grant and Martha discuss the poetic effects of compressed language. Also, African-American proverbs, classic children’s books, pore vs. pour, and the double meaning of the word sanction.
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May 2024
How Can We Be More Effective With Language?
Have you ever wondered what’s up with double negation, the history of gender neutral pronouns, or why swearing is taboo? Then get ready for this week’s guest, linguist Anne Curzan! Anne and Jonathan talk about how the English language has evolved since the 1300s and how our words ... Show More
53m 20s
Nov 2022
Why Today's 'Thank You' Is Different from an Ancient 'Thank You.' Gerunds.
902. Language reflects culture, so it's no surprise that giving thanks hundreds of years ago was different from giving thanks today. We have the fascinating history. Plus, since "Thanksgiving" is a gerund, we looked at all the interesting things you can do with gerunds in general ... Show More
16m 58s
Jul 2017
88: When we're done, we'll know a panoply of words.
The words for today are: Spectrum, Rejoinder, Panoply, Verbose. Today's quote is from Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake. "When any civilization is dust and ashes," he said, "art is all that's left over. Images, words, music. Imaginative structures. Meaning—human meaning, that is—is ... Show More
15m 46s
Aug 2023
Hilarious typos (and how to avoid them). Why do we 'take' a walk?
941. Whether you've been betrayed by autocorrect or your own fingers, almost everyone has made embarrassing typos. Even the Bible isn't immune: typos led to an old version called the "Sinners Bible"! We have more hilarious examples and, better yet, some tips to help you catch tho ... Show More
16m 56s
984. This week, we talk about the subtle differences between words such as "stock" or "broth," "street" or "boulevard," "maze" or "labyrinth" and more with Eli Burnstein, author of "The Dictionary of Fine Distinctions." Confusion about colors got him started on this path, but alo ... Show More
875. When you say "Go get 'em!" you think that's short for "Go get them," but you're wrong! We look at the fascinating history of some English pronouns. Plus, we look at how Neil Gaiman uses the subjunctive mood in "American Gods" to underscore moments of uncertainty.WHY "'EM" IS ... Show More
