Cliches. Organic. Bully pulpit. Fimfy.

Cliches. Organic. Bully pulpit. Fimfy.

951. In honor of National Cliché day, we uncover why some overused phrases rub us the wrong way. What is the boundary between idioms, slang, and clichés—and should we give "adulting" a break? Then, we trace the 700-year history of "organic," from bodily organs to natural growth, and ask whether using a bully pulpit makes someone a bad person.

The "cliche" segment was written by Kirk Hazen, a professor of linguistics at West Virginia University, and Jordan Lovejoy, a visiting assistant professor of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It first appeared on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons license (BY-ND 4.0).

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Episoder(967)

201 Is “Ain't” a Word?

201 Is “Ain't” a Word?

Is “Ain't” a Word? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Des 20095min

199 "Alternate" Versus "Alternative"

199 "Alternate" Versus "Alternative"

"Alternate" Versus "Alternative" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

5 Des 20095min

197 "Where" Versus "In Which"

197 "Where" Versus "In Which"

"Where" Versus "In Which" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

19 Nov 20094min

196 Adverbs Ending in -ly

196 Adverbs Ending in -ly

Adverbs Ending in -ly Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

13 Nov 20096min

193 "Diffuse" Versus "Defuse"

193 "Diffuse" Versus "Defuse"

"Diffuse" Versus "Defuse" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

16 Okt 20093min

191 How to Write a Complaint Letter

191 How to Write a Complaint Letter

How to Write a Complaint Letter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Okt 20095min

190 Ellipses Spurned

190 Ellipses Spurned

Ellipses Spurned Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Sep 20094min

188 "Comprise" Versus "Compose"

188 "Comprise" Versus "Compose"

"Comprise" Versus "Compose" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

18 Sep 20095min

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