In the world of great debates, there is one that has been long enduring and still keeps language prescriptivists awake at night: Is it "tom-ay-to" or "tom-ah-to"? Now, this may not seem as pressing as whether nuclear fusion is possible, but to people in the linguistic trenches, it is pretty darn close. After all, how many linguistic pronunciation ambiguitie ... Show More
Yesterday
The sinful fork (and other dinner-table surprises)
<p>1136. This week, we go full Thanksgiving, talking about the origin of butter knives, forks, and more. You'll love all the tidbits you can share with your family or friends during dinner.</p><p>🔗 <strong>Share your familect recording via </strong><a href="https://www.speakpipe ... Show More
14m 49s
Nov 20
Why print dictionaries still matter, with Peter Sokolowski
<p>1135. This week, we talk with Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster, about the new print 12th Collegiate Dictionary. We look at why print still matters, how the dictionary used lookup data to decide which words to drop (least looked-up compounds), and the import ... Show More
35m 31s
Nov 18
Personification in language and AI. Dictums, maxims, and proverbs. Expensitive.
<p>1134. This week, we look at the poetic power of personification (the language quirk that gives human traits to nonhuman things) and why style guides advise against using it for AI. Then, we look at the different names for common sayings, defining a proverb and breaking down th ... Show More
17m 26s
Jul 2022
#109 Ellen Jovin on “The Grammar Table”
Creator and proprietor of The Grammar Table, Ellen Jovin, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about traveling the country to discuss grammar, learning the languages of New York, and finding joy in learning grammar.Featured Resources
Rebel with a ClausePatreon Extended E ... Show More
47m 53s
Jan 2024
279. Indian Mutiny, the Cat-O’-Nine-Tails, and Mercury Poisoning: The Surprising Origins of English Idioms! (English Vocabulary Lesson)
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What do the 1857 Indian Mutiny, a brutal punishment feared by sai ... Show More
21m 38s
Mar 2022
Italian Grammar #10 - Adjectives on "-o" and on "-e", and the endings!
Ciao!In the episode we'll look at the two types of adjectives, those ending on "-o" or "-e" as their "base", and how they change. For more episodes and extra exercises on this topic, subscribe to the extended podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ItalianGrammar or Redci ... Show More
7m 14s
Dec 2023
Your English Five a Day #8.3
<p><b>E127: </b>🎙️ Welcome to <b>The English Like a Native Podcast</b>! I'm Anna, your host, and you're tuned in to <b>Week Eight, Day Three</b> of <b>Your English Five a Day</b> series. We're on a linguistic journey through five enriching vocabulary pieces every ... Show More
10m 24s
Dec 2016
02: Pronouns. Little words, big jobs
If there are pronouns, why aren’t there connouns? What’s the point of these little words? In this episode of the podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne take a look at the many functions of pronouns. We discuss the vastly diff ... Show More
33m 41s