Word games and the joy of playing every day, with Lex Friedman
1054. Ever wonder what goes into designing daily word games? Lex Friedman, creator of Lex.games, shares his journey from puzzle lover to puzzle maker, how he keeps his games fresh, and why some puzzle...
6 Feb 202525min
'Toeing' the line. Metonymy versus synecdoche. Ghost town mad
1053. If you’ve ever hesitated between ‘toe the line’ and ‘tow the line,’ this episode is for you. We look at the phrase's history to clear up the confusion. Then, we look at metonymy and synecdoche —...
4 Feb 202517min
Wordplay and cartoons: Inside the making of 'AB@C,' with Rob Meyerson and Dan Misdea
1052. What do “CDB” and “U11 2” have in common? They’re both examples of gramograms! This week, I chat with writer Rob Meyerson and New Yorker cartoonist Dan Misdea about their book "AB@C," a fun coll...
30 Jan 202518min
Does 'book-book' make sense? Fun words for jigsaw lovers. Chilly chickens.
1051. This week, we look at doubled words, like "salad-salad" or "job-job," and what the repetition is actually telling us. Then, in honor of National Puzzle Day, we look at the history of jigsaw puzz...
28 Jan 202514min
The secret to writing a good memoir, with Wendy Dale
1050. This week, I talk with Wendy Dale, author of "The Memoir Engineering System," about how to write a compelling memoir. We look at the differences between memoir and autobiography, the importance...
23 Jan 202519min
Quotation marks in 1906. Starting stories in the middle. Road trip words.
1049. I came across a hilarious entry about quotation marks in an old usage guide and had to share it. Then, we look at a technique that can work for both fiction and nonfiction writing — starting a ...
21 Jan 202517min
'Rebel with a Clause,' the movie, with Ellen Jovin and Brandt Johnson
1048. Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on the street in all 50 U.S. states to talk with people about grammar, which led to the book "Rebel with a Clause." Now, her story, and the story of people who...
16 Jan 202524min
From "august" to "August." Why the union is always "strong." Nee nee
1047. This week, we look at word pairs like "august/August" that change their meaning when capitalized and how you can make your meaning clear. Then, we look at how we got to the point where U.S. pres...
14 Jan 202515min
