Today

It's Greek to me: Why is the language of 'The Odyssey' shorthand for all that we don’t understand?

1214. This week, we look at why we say, "It's all Greek to me" when we don't understand something. We trace the phrase from medieval monks who couldn't read Greek manuscripts to Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," and look at how other languages, like Czech, German, and Cantonese, exp ... Show More

10m 52s

Aug 20

Sarah L. Kaufman on the shared rhythm of dance, critical writing, and finding better verbs

1213. Pulitzer-Prize-winning dance critic Sarah L. Kaufman goes deeper into her journey from the "Washington Post" copy desk to the world of professional dance criticism. We look at how writing about an art form is the ultimate exercise in verb selection, why our brains physicall ... Show More

16m 16s

Aug 18

What 'kith and kin' and 'beck and call' have in common

1212. This week, we look at fossil words — old words like "kith," "beck," and "hue" that survive only inside phrases like "kith and kin," "beck and call," and "hue and cry." We also look at listener follow-ups about the game "huckle buckle beanstalk" and the "Nimrod" mascot of Wa ... Show More

12m 4s

Feb 2016

AEE 473: Site Vs. Sight? Break Vs. Brake? How to Catch a Break When It Comes to English Spelling

Click here to read the full episode summary English spelling can be hard. We don't always spell words the way they sound and sometimes two words can sound the same and be spelled differently. Those words can have completely different meanings. Today Lindsay and Michelle show you ... Show More

22m 19s

Nov 2020

264: The Opposite of a Trophy

Do you put your mask or earbuds on first? Why were soda fountains a big deal? Why don't holes in the ground below sea level always fill with water? Where did XOXO as hugs and kisses in letters come from? How do you tell if someone has been quantum leapt? Why is pint pronounced th ... Show More

37m 52s

Oct 2021

I Was Wrong...

The spelling of certain words, sex ed miscommunications, examples of the Mandela Effect: the guys humbly admit when they were wrong... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

52m 44s

Aug 2024

Homophones

Learn about words that sound the same but have different meanings.FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusLIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ... Show More

6m 8s

Jul 2025

Don't mix up your diary with your dairy 🐄📅 - The 'OY' Sound – Don't Let It Betray Your Accent - 🔑 Master These 10 Property Terms (Before You Get Lost in Jargon!)

👉 Diary / Dairy 👉 Petrol / Patrol 👉 Ledger / Leisure Want to get in touch ? Email: mail@learningbritishaccent.com Want the British Accent Training Courses? Details: https://learningbritishaccent.com/bundle/ 12 month subscription: https://learningbritishaccent.com/product/briti ... Show More

10m 47s

Jan 2024

Recipe, Receipt, Prescription

These 3 words often confuse people when they go to use them. In this episode, you will learn their differences, pronunciations, and how to get them confused again.

5m 27s

Sep 2025

Questions of English & Listener Comments 🙋Bits & Bobs 4 [951]

Dealing with some questions from listeners about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, namely how to know when 'd is had or would (in writing and pronunciation), the curious origins of the word podcast and a vocabulary lesson about the word cast including various collocations an ... Show More

1h 24m

Mar 2020

231: Bouquet Trebuchet (Live in Raleigh, NC!)

Have you ever added a strange fact to a book? How does a teacher inspire their students? How do I figure out if NASA has aliens? Do lobsters feel pain? How do I focus on one book at a time? How do I keep my family from bringing a siege engine to my wedding? How do I tell someone ... Show More

42m 12s

Aug 2024

Eggcorns, malapropismos, y la etimología popular - Eggcorns, Malapropisms and Popular Etymology

<p>Join us as we share a lighthearted conversation about eggcorns, malapropisms, and folk etymology. We explore how linguistic slip-ups—like confusing "Alzheimer's disease" with "old-timers disease" or "in one fell swoop" with "in one foul ... Show More

30m 12s

Nov 2024

910. FUNNY ENGLISH SIGNS 🪧 Explained (Part 1)

Let's look at some funny examples of badly-worded signs from around the world (including UK & USA), which show the ambiguity and unintended consequences of unclear English. I analyse lots of signs, explaining the errors and offering improved versions, using them as teaching momen ... Show More

1h 18m

605 - A Homophone Error at the SAG Award...