How many people is a 'troop'? Why spelling bees are called 'bees.'
1186. This week, we look at why the word "troops" is surprisingly ambiguous and what style guides say about using it to refer to individual service members. Then, we look at why spelling bees are call...
19 Mai 14min
The hidden logic of English spelling, with Colin Gorrie
1185. Today, we look at why English spelling is secretly optimized for readers. Colin Gorrie, linguist and creator of the Dead Language Society newsletter, shared the real history of silent letters, w...
14 Mai 24min
How the Crusades gave us 'lingua franca.' 'That' or 'who' for animals? Doot doot doot
1184. This week, we look at the history of lingua francas, from the original mix of Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Turkish used during the Crusades to today's global English. Plus, we look at w...
12 Mai 15min
Meeting the new editor, with AP Stylebook's Anna Jo Bratton
1183. This week, we talk to Anna Jo Bratton about leading the committee that decides the rules for the "journalism bible." We look at how the team "pressure-tests" new rules and why the process isn't ...
7 Mai 24min
Decoding the colon: AP vs. MLA style. Plus, words with no known origin.
1182. This week, we solve the mystery of the colon: when do you actually need to capitalize the next word? We compare AP, Chicago, and MLA styles to give you a clear answer. Then, we look at common wo...
5 Mai 17min
The hidden superpower of verbs, with Sarah L. Kaufman
1181. This week, we talk to Sarah L. Kaufman about verbs. We look at why English is a "manner verb" superpower and why babies often learn prepositions before actions. Then, we look at how choosing str...
30 Apr 27min
Why English creates so many words spelled the same. Why we say 'ye olde' instead of 'the old.'
1180. Why does "Ye Olde Shoppe" look old-fashioned? This week, we look at the vanished letters of English — thorn, eth, and yogh — and at why English has so many words that are spelled the same but ha...
28 Apr 15min
'Why We Talk Funny.' The reasons behind our accents, with Valerie Fridland
1179. This week, we talk to Valerie Fridland, a linguist and professor who grew up in Memphis surrounded by Southern accents and now researches the history and social power of speech. We look at her n...
23 Apr 33min
