436 GG Why People Have Always Been Confu...

1111. This week, we look at the phrase "near miss" and why this seemingly illogical term actually makes sense. Then, in honor of National Dog Day, we look at how 16 different dog breeds got their names, including why a dachshund is a "badger dog," a poodle is a "puddle dog," and ... Show More

1110. This week, we talk with Jane Friedman, an expert on the business of being a writer. We look at how to build a strong email newsletter and why it's a critical tool for authors in today's publishing world. Jane shares her best tips for getting started, what to write about, an ... Show More

1109. This week, we look at why kids and video gamers talk about "versing" someone. Then, we look at the linguistics of placeholder words like "whatchamacallit" and "thingamajig," including some fun international examples and the now-obsolete word "whiblin."The "thingamajig" segm ... Show More

Today the saxophone is a well-known musical instrument, popular across the planet. But, when you learn the story of its inventor Adolphe Sax, you quickly learn it's amazing he survived long enough to invent the saxophone in the first place. In today's episode, Ben, Max and return ... Show More

Prof. Simon Horobin examines how the English language has changed over time, addressing such vexed questions as whether Jane Austen could spell, the fate of the apostrophe and whether people who 'literally' explode with anger are corrupting the language. 

Happy Christmas! It's Bad Gays Live! Relive our reading of the Jack Saul chapter – covering the life and times of the Victorian sex worker and pornographer – from our book BAD GAYS: A HOMOSEXUAL HISTORY at Foyles in London, with the inimitable Shon Faye reading out the saucy bits ... Show More

In this episode, we discuss the life, influences, drawbacks, and positives of the Athenian military leader, philosopher, and historian--Xenophon (ca. 430-354 BC)--who was one of Sokrates' more famous pupils; and the post-Peloponnesian war Panhellenic campaign into the heart of th ... Show More

Dr. Elizabeth P. Archibald of Ask the Past has delved deep into old manuscripts to find pertinent and impertinent advice from the past. In this interview, she discusses the history of how-tos and her new book. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c ... Show More

You know the feeling when you try on a dress and realize—it has pockets? Those pockets were more than 500 years in the making! Dr. Hannah Carlson joins us this week to discuss why pockets are still not a staple for womenswear, and how people throughout history—from Queen Elizabet ... Show More

In late autumn, 629 AD, Xuanzang set out for the great university of Nalanda from Chang’an. Across the desert, over the Pamirs, and through multiple robberies, it was an epic journey. As he neared the Buddhist heartlands, he saw Buddhism in decline with its monasteries increasing ... Show More

This episode is spoken by Steve Harvey, Les Brown, Wayne Dyer, David Goggins, Andy Frisella. The Music : epidemic sound - Space Exploration   Support the show