Silence comes in lots of different forms. In fact, says writer Paul Goodman, there are several kinds: There's the noisy silence of "resentment and self-recrimination," and the helpful, participatory silence of actively listening to someone speak. Plus, the strange story behind the English words "grotesque" and "antic": both involve bizarre paintings found in ... Show More
Feb 23
Turn on a Dime - 23 February 2026
Every subculture has its own secret lingo, whether you’re talking about surfers, cab drivers, or coffee-shop baristas. A new book uncovers the slang of everyone from stunt performers to department-store Santas and more. Plus, why is English so darn weird? Those odd spellings and ... Show More
53m 45s
Feb 16
Excuse the Hogs (Rebroadcast) - 16 February 2026
When a teenager went a week without talking as part of a school project, he noticed a surprising side effect: Instead of rehearsing a response to what other people were saying to him, he was focused on listening — and feeling smarter as a result. Plus, a flight attendant is irrit ... Show More
53m 45s
Jul 2024
168 - Expression: To Spread One's Wings
Welcome back to this week's episode! It'll begin with a joke. Then, we move into the expression of the day, "to spread one's wings," breaking down its meaning and providing vivid examples to help you understand how to use it in everyday life. Finally, we'll practice pronouncing t ... Show More
14m 46s
Sep 2022
129.2 - The Monster Study
The Monster Study (aka Tudor Study) is an unethical psychology experiment that was conducted in 1939 on 22 orphans in Davenport, Iowa. The goal was to a test the theory that by deeply worrying about starting to stutter, one may develop the speech disorder. Mary Tudor, a graduate ... Show More
35m 57s