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Oct 2021

12m 25s

Is That a Tombstone, Gravestone, or Head...

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Decoding the Chinese character paradox, with Dr. Charles Kemp

1203. In this bonus discussion with Dr. Charles Kemp, we look at why the Chinese writing system has actually become visually more complex over thousands of years. Dr. Kemp explains how his team used "perimetric complexity" to measure characters and why the need for distinctivenes ... Show More

Isn't it ironic? Plus, the man behind the guillotine

1202. This week, we look at the tricky question of what makes something ironic, including situational irony, verbal irony, and "skunked" words, with help from psychologist and author Roger Kreuz. Then, for Bastille Day, we look at how the guillotine got its name (ironically) from ... Show More

Saving Canadian lexicography, with John Chew

1201. In this bonus discussion from January, we look at why Canada has been without a current homegrown dictionary for twenty years and how John Chew is leading the charge to fix it. We look at how John got the job and the unique challenges of funding a dictionary in a bilingual ... Show More

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