Yesterday
Why we say 'near miss.' How dogs got their names. Stupid dog Jackie.
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
18m 31s
Aug 21
How to build a successful writers’ newsletter, with Jane Friedman
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
18m 29s
Aug 19
What is 'versing'? ‘Whatchamacallit' and other placeholder words. Chicken.
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
13m 14s
Jan 2024
278 - An Admirable Point - Florence Hazrat
On this episode we learn about the history of the exclamation point, the question mark, and the semicolon (among many other aspects of language) with Florence Hazrat, a scholar of punctuation, who, to my great surprise, informed me that while a lot of language is the result of a ... Show More
1 h