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
Jan 27
Scarecrows and other 'cutthroat' compounds. Reading versus listening. Squirrel Hill Tunnel.
1154. This week, we look at "headless" nouns like "scarecrow," "pickpocket," and "breakfast." We look at why these "cutthroat compounds" break the normal rules of English grammar. Then, we look at the science of reading versus listening, including how our brains process text diff ... Show More
16m 39s
Jan 22
Scrabble strategy and tournament culture, with John Chew
1153. This week, we look at the high-stakes world of Scrabble tournaments with John Chew, head of the North American Scrabble Players Association. We look at the strict etiquette of the tile bag, why professional players count tiles, and how the official word list is managed for ... Show More
45m 19s
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 ResourcesRebel with a ClausePatreon Extended Ep ... 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 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
1152. This week, we look at what a baker's dozen is and why it's actually 13. We also look at other "dozen" phrases, like "devil's dozen" and "banker's dozen." Finally, we tackle the inconsistency of making words that end in O plural, from "tomatoes" to "rodeos."🔗 Share your fam ... Show More
<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
