It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about internet language says this disagreement is worth remembering when we talk about how greetings are evolving today — b ... Show More
Nov 24
Deep Fried Air (Rebroadcast) - 24 November 2025
Eels, orts, and Wordle! Sweden awarded its most prestigious literary award to a book about . . . eels. The Book of Eels reveals the mysterious life cycle of this sea creature and its significance for famous figures from Aristotle to Sigmund Freud. Plus, what's an ort? It's the ... Show More
53m 45s
Nov 17
No Bones - 17 November 2025
Whippoorwills, bob whites, and chickadees. How do we decide the names of birds and what to call their calls? Plus, the last syllables of Arkansas and Kansas are pronounced differently, but they come from the same etymological root. And: What’s the best word to describe your relat ... Show More
53m 45s
May 2022
#286 Learn English with Pop Culture
<p>One of the greatest ways for you to be part of the current conversation, socialize and understand jokes is by staying up-to-date with what's going on in Pop Culture. In today's episode, we will discuss some recent events involving celebrities, and share our thoughts about them ... Show More
36m 41s
May 2024
Ep61 - French Slang 101 - Mastering Putain & Merde
<p>Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the French Blabla podcast! I'm Caroline, your host.</p> <p>Today, we're about to unwrap two cheeky and somewhat controversial gems from the French linguistic treasure chest.</p> <p>These expressions are quintessential to everyday F ... Show More
19m 2s
Mar 2022
#279 10 Useful SLANG Words to Make Your Conversations More Interesting
<p>Slang is unavoidable, no matter what language you're learning, and it's becoming increasingly more common in movies, TV series, and especially on social media.<br /> It's also one of those aspects of language which isn't usually taught in the classroom even though it's an impo ... Show More
37m 37s