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
Should you start a sentence with 'hopefully'? Why we might not recognize alien language.
1178. Do you cringe when someone says "Hopefully, he'll pass the test"? This week, we look at why "hopefully" as a sentence adverb has been controversial for decades, even though the Associated Press ...
21 Apr 18min
Inside the life of a curator (and the myth of white gloves), with John Overholt.
1177. This week, we look at behind-the-scenes of being a curator at Harvard's Houghton Library with John Overholt. We look at why 18th-century paper is surprisingly tough, how John managed the high-st...
16 Apr 30min
