It’s cats and dogs, and a few other critters, too. Animals prowl around inside several English words, including sleuth, which was originally sleuth-hound, a synonym for bloodhound. Plus, the language we use with our pets and the ways they communicate with us. Boop a snoot, anyone? And NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz stops by to add to the menagerie with a punny ... Show More
Jan 5
You Talk Like a Sausage (Rebroadcast) - 5 January 2026
Do you refer to your dog or cat as “somebody”? As in: When you love somebody that much, you don’t mind if they slobber. In other words, is your pet a somebody or a something? Also, for centuries, there was little consistency in the way many English words were spelled. But long be ... Show More
53m 45s
Dec 29
Pushing the Envelope (Rebroadcast) - 29 December 2025
Sure, there’s winter, spring, summer, and fall. But the seasons in between have even more poetic names. In Alaska, greenup describes a sudden, dramatic burst of green after a long, dark winter. And there are many, many terms for a cold snap that follows the first taste of spring: ... Show More
53m 45s
Apr 2023
#215 Animal Idioms You Can Use in Daily Conversation
In this week's episode, we're exploring the fun topic of animals, except we're not learning simple animal words or noises they make. This is more advanced.We'll be looking at a few animal idioms, expressions and phrasal verbs that you can use in your daily life. Native speakers u ... Show More
31m 18s
Nov 2021
How To Get Your Dog to Stop Barking (Without Barking Back)
Approximately 23 million families in the US got a pet during the pandemic, many of them puppies. At their best, dogs truly are "man's best friend," providing real comfort and companionship. But it can be tough when your new dog isn't adapting as well as you'd hoped. Whether it's ... Show More
32m 56s
Jan 2019
Doggo and Kitty Do Their Laundry (Beginner Level)
Buy me a coffee to say thank you for the podcast!
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Once, there was a dog and a cat. The dog was called Doggo. He had long, thick hair. The cat was called Kitty. She had soft, thin hair. Doggo and Kitty lived together in a small house. Their house was beside a forest. Doggo a ... Show More
21m 38s