From 'gobsmacked' to 'ginger': The British invasion of American English, with Ben Yagoda

From 'gobsmacked' to 'ginger': The British invasion of American English, with Ben Yagoda

1017. How did British words find their way into American English? Author Ben Yagoda shares insights with us from his new book "Gobsmacked!" We learn about words like "brilliant" and "ginger" that have crossed the pond, some words you might think came from Britain (but didn't), which politicians are prone to using Britishisms, and why some adopted terms might sound more pretentious than others to American ears.

Find out more about Ben and his books at BenYagoda.com.

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Episoder(965)

197 "Where" Versus "In Which"

197 "Where" Versus "In Which"

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19 Nov 20094min

196 Adverbs Ending in -ly

196 Adverbs Ending in -ly

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13 Nov 20096min

193 "Diffuse" Versus "Defuse"

193 "Diffuse" Versus "Defuse"

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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

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25 Sep 20094min

188 "Comprise" Versus "Compose"

188 "Comprise" Versus "Compose"

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18 Sep 20095min

187 Should Writers Keep a Journal?

187 Should Writers Keep a Journal?

Should Writers Keep a Journal? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

11 Sep 20095min

186 Funny Misplaced Modifiers

186 Funny Misplaced Modifiers

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

4 Sep 20094min

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