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“Are we ready to order yet?” Why do restaurant servers use the word “we” when they’re not eating with you or helping you pay the bill? And a story of Cold War intrigue: A young saxophone player’s clever ruse to smuggle information past KGB agents by encoding it in sheet music. Plus: colorful bird names, including bananaquit, ticking doradito, and&n ... Show More
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Aug 24
Blessing Box (Rebroadcast) - 24 August 2026
Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article? Plus, those Little Free Libraries filled with book ... Show More
53m 45s
Aug 17
Apple Turnover - 17 August 2026
Critters, co-workers, and clothes: What do you call your favorite mixed-breed dog? There are Heinz 57 mutts and Texas brown dogs in the U.S., while in parts of the Caribbean they’re called potcakes and coconut retrievers. Plus, among firefighters, if you’re not pulling your weigh ... Show More
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Aug 10
Fair Dinkum (Rebroadcast) - 10 August 2026
A magnificent new book celebrates the richness and diversity of 450 years of written and spoken English in what is now the United States. It’s called The People’s Tongue, and it’s a sumptuous collection of essays, letters, poems, lyrics, and much more, from colonial times to the ... Show More
53m 45s
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