992. It's been 100 years since the crossword puzzle took America by storm in 1924. This week, Ben Zimmer tells us the little-known story of how this humble word game launched major publishing empires and examines the public's polarized reactions at the time.
Yesterday
The sinful fork (and other dinner-table surprises)
<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
14m 49s
Nov 20
Why print dictionaries still matter, with Peter Sokolowski
<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
35m 31s
Nov 18
Personification in language and AI. Dictums, maxims, and proverbs. Expensitive.
<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
17m 26s
Dec 2024
The 12 Books of Christmas | The Anxious Generation: Jonathan Haidt on How Smartphones Rewired Childhood
To celebrate 2024, we’re taking a look backwards, and diving into the standout thinkers who have taken to the Intelligence Squared stage in the past 12 months. You might still be on the hunt for that perfect gift for the avid reader in your life, or perhaps you’re after some food ... Show More
59m 22s
Sep 11
Short Story Ep #2 - A Stonehenge Adventure with Hugo, Chris & Mike
📥 Grab the FREE PDF with 20+ advanced expressions from this episode, complete with quizzes and example sentences , to learn today’s vocabulary 3x faster. Plus, get the script from today's story included! 🎓 Join my weekly online group lessons Welcome to a series of shor ... Show More
23m 28s
Oct 2
From the Archives: A British Conversation in Charlie's Pub, Scene 1 - Bitesize Ep 2
📥 Grab this episode's FREE PDF with 10 advanced expressions from this episode, complete with quizzes and example sentences, to learn today’s vocabulary 3x faster! 🎓 Join my weekly online group lessons In this episode, step into the Golden Age of England with Ch ... Show More
16m 45s
Sep 19
Algorithmic Social Media Is Driving New Slang
From viral slang such as “skibidi” to the rise of so-called brain rot, linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic, aka the “Etymology Nerd,” and associate editor Allison Parshall, who covers the mind and brain, unpack how social media and algorithms are reshaping the way we commun ... Show More
26m 55s
Sep 18
S5/E3 - The Rise of England Explained: Elizabethan Era, Part 1
📥 Grab this episode's FREE PDF with 15 advanced expressions from this episode, complete with quizzes and example sentences, to learn today’s vocabulary 3x faster! 🎓 Join my weekly online group lessons In this episode, step into the Golden Age of England with Charli ... Show More
41m 2s
Nov 13
Bonus Ep 84: Pt. 2 of The Elizabethan Era: Exploration, Empire & the English Renaissance | Ft. Ben Marks
📥 Grab this episode's FREE PDF with 25 advanced expressions from this episode, complete with quizzes and example sentences, to learn today’s vocabulary 3x faster! 🎓 Join my weekly online group lessons England sails into global power in this spirited exploration ... Show More
31m 10s
Jun 2017
Free Thinking: Churchill, Pocahontas and The Idiot
Anne McElvoy is joined by screenwriter Alex von Tunzelmann who discusses her new film, Churchill. New Generation Thinker Christopher Bannister, an expert on the propaganda unit The Ministry of Information, reveals the influence it still wields today. Academic Nandini Das and Step ... Show More
44m 13s