118 Writing Accents and Dialects

1115. This week, we talk with Keith Houston about his book, "The Book." We look at how writing technology evolved from clay tablets and bamboo slips to papyrus and paper. He shares some surprising fac...

11 Sep 202525min

1114. This week, we look at the history and purpose of indents, from medieval manuscripts to modern word processors, and the difference between a first-line indent and a hanging indent. Then, we look ...

9 Sep 202519min

1113. This week, we talk with linguist Lauren Gawne about her book "Gesture: A Slim Guide." We look at how different cultures gesture about abstract concepts like time and space, and how we unknowingl...

4 Sep 202522min

1112. This week, we look at why you can safely ignore Kurt Vonnegut’s famous advice about ignoring semicolons. We also look at why taking punctuation advice from fiction writers may not be a good idea...

2 Sep 202515min

1111. This week, we look at the phrase "near miss" and why this seemingly illogical term actually makes sense. Then, in honor of National Dog Day, we look at how 16 different dog breeds got their name...

26 Aug 202518min

1110. This week, we talk with Jane Friedman, an expert on the business of being a writer. We look at how to build a strong email newsletter and why it's a critical tool for authors in today's publishi...

21 Aug 202518min

1109. This week, we look at why kids and video gamers talk about "versing" someone. Then, we look at the linguistics of placeholder words like "whatchamacallit" and "thingamajig," including some fun i...

19 Aug 202513min

1108. This week, we talk to Heddwen Newton about some of the unique and untranslatable words she's discovered while translating. She shares her thoughts on why the translation profession is being hit ...

14 Aug 202519min