Fossil words, eponyms, and a miscellany of weird facts, with Jess Zafarris and Shannon Miller
1197. This week, guest host Valerie Fridland steps in for Mignon and talks to Jess Zafarris and Shannon Miller about their new book, "A Miscellany of Weird and Wonderful Facts for Curious Humans." The...
25 Jun 38min
Why 'love' means 'zero' in tennis
1196. This week, we look at why "love" means "zero" in tennis, from egg-shaped zeros to playing for the love of the game, and how the sport's quirky 15-30-40 scoring system came to be. 🔗 Join the Gra...
23 Jun 8min
Tomi Adeyemi: The writing life
874. With her book "Children of Blood and Bone" spending 120 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, Tomi Adeyemi knows what it takes to write a great book. Listen in on my conversation with this...
20 Jun 42min
The bouba-kiki effect in baby chicks, with Dr. Maria Loconsole
1195. This week, we talk to Dr. Maria Loconsole from the University of Padua about her research into the bouba-kiki effect, the near-universal tendency to associate round shapes with "bouba" sounds an...
18 Jun 17min
The secret code of weather forecasts
1194. This week, we look at weather forecast terminology, including why "mostly sunny" and "partly cloudy" aren't the same thing, what "oktas" are, and how terms like "breezy," "scattered," and "likel...
16 Jun 9min
Randall Munroe of xkcd: Language chat and weird bee laws.
898. Randall Munroe joined me back in October 2022 to talk about his language-themed xkcd cartoons, his simple-language project Up Goer V, his biggest pet peeve, his favorite words, and his new book "...
13 Jun 36min
How to get started as a freelance writer
1192. How do you get your first writing jobs when you don’t have much experience? Grammar Girl shares stories from her own early career and offers advice on finding a niche, spotting opportunities, ma...
9 Jun 14min
