logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2021
11m 35s

How Do You Pronounce 'Tomato'? Why Is 'C...

Quickanddirtytips.com
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Oct 8
Famous quotes we've been getting wrong, from Robert Frost to 'Don't mess with Texas,' with Eli Burnstein
1227. This week, we talk to Eli Burnstein, author of "Phrased & Confused." We look at why Robert Frost's "road less traveled" wasn't really less traveled, and why the other half of Stewart Brand's "information wants to be free" will make you think about it differently. Then we lo ... Show More
45m 8s
Oct 6
Is it 'try and' or 'try to'? What does an epilogue do?
1226. This week, we look at why so many people say "try and" instead of "try to," including why it may be the older form, why it turns up more in speech than in writing, and why it bothers Americans more than Brits. Then we look at what an epilogue actually does, whether one can ... Show More
10m 16s
Oct 1
'Rizz,' 'lost in the sauce,' and Dictionary.com's newest words, with Steve Johnson
1225. This week, we talk to lexicographer Steve Johnson from Dictionary.com. We look at how slang like "no cap" and "throw hands" works its way up from a separate slang dictionary, why one lexicographer fought against adding "rizz," and where "lost in the sauce" comes from. Then ... Show More
20m 44s
Recommended Episodes
May 2018
524. Tricky Pronunciation Debates / "Either" "Neither" / Song + Comedy Sketch
<p>Talking about words which can be pronounced several ways, words which are often pronounced incorrectly by native speakers and the debates, arguments and frustration that arises between native speakers as a result. Includes the "You Say Tomato..." song and the Grammar Nazi sket ... Show More
1h 12m
Mar 2015
209: The difference between /ə/ and /ʌ/: schwa and short u
What's up with /ə/ and /ʌ/ in words like 'custom' /ˈkʌs təm/? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast. 
9m 1s
Jul 2025
Elementary | Which tone was that again?
Science is fun! So are sports! But what happens when you want to discuss one in Chinese, but you instead use words describing the other? Sounds like you have a problem with tones, but not to worry! ChinesePod is here to help! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1436 
17m 43s
Feb 2016
AEE 473: Site Vs. Sight? Break Vs. Brake? How to Catch a Break When It Comes to English Spelling
Click here to read the full episode summary English spelling can be hard. We don't always spell words the way they sound and sometimes two words can sound the same and be spelled differently. Those words can have completely different meanings. Today Lindsay and Michelle show you ... Show More
22m 19s
Sep 2025
What’s A
The centuries-old international battle over the real sound of a musical note. Guest: Fanny Gribenski, historical musicologist and author of Tuning the World: The Rise of 440 Hertz in Music, Science, and Politics, 1859–1955 Reported for Unexplainable by Emily Siner For show transc ... Show More
26m 47s
Sep 2025
Questions of English & Listener Comments 🙋Bits & Bobs 4 [951]
Dealing with some questions from listeners about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, namely how to know when 'd is had or would (in writing and pronunciation), the curious origins of the word podcast and a vocabulary lesson about the word cast including various collocations an ... Show More
1h 24m
Jan 2024
Words with more than one spelling
Are you unsure whether it’s disc or disk, sympathise or sympathize, learnt or learned? 
6m 21s
Jul 2021
Words with more than one spelling
Disk or disc? Confused about which one to use? Finn and Catherine talk about spelling. 
6m 21s
Nov 2022
Words with more than one spelling
Disk or disc? Confused about which one to use? Finn and Catherine talk about spelling. 
6m 21s