Why "'Em" Isn't Short for "Them." The Su...

<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

<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

<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

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

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

<p>"</p> <p>The Nobel prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez worked on a slim novel called ""Until August"" on and off for decades. In his final years, the author determined the book was not fit for publication and ordered the drafts destroyed. Now, ten years after his death ... Show More

<p>Dr. Valerie Fridland shares surprising insight into why filler words and other vilified elements of speaking aren’t all that bad in the workplace.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><strong>— YOU’LL LEARN —&nbsp;</strong></p><p>1) The surprising value of saying “Uh” and “Um”<strong>&nbsp; ... Show More

<p>"</p> <p>Antonio Dominick Benedetto--later 'Tony Bennett'--had one of the great American entertainment careers. Born in Queens, New York, he rose to fame by singing early American jazz and musical songs. His most famous song was ""I Left My Heart in San Francisco."" But the pe ... Show More

<p>"</p> <p>Copyright on films, drawings, and literature lasts a long time...but it doesn't last forever. While classic novels have been in the public domain for decades, some Hollywood icons like Winnie the Pooh are entering the public domain, allowing anyone to create re-makes ... Show More

<p>"</p> <p>When Britney Spears was 26, she had just gone through a series of personal meltdowns. As a result, her father was legally appointed as her financial and personal conservator, meaning he has full control of her life and finances. But thirteen years later, Britney – and ... Show More

<p>"</p> <p>Tony Bennett's career peaked before the age of rock-and-roll. When new stars burst onto the scene, it seemed like his style of music belonged to the past. But he reinvented his career and brought his authentic style to new generations. He became an ambassador of the o ... Show More

<p>"</p> <p>The gender-neutral pronoun, “iel,” was recently added to the French dictionary, and is meant to be used when you don’t want to specify the gender of the person or people you’re talking about. “Iel” has been widely used and accepted among young people, but traditionali ... Show More

<p>"</p> <p>The current Chilean constitution is a controversial document, and many people don’t consider it legitimate. The group in charge of drafting the new constitution hopes to address long-held and deep-rooted issues of inequality in Chile. Even though the drafters are all ... Show More