War of the dots. Why we say 'pitch black.' Pitch hot.
1146. This week, we look at the history of Braille, from the tragic accident that inspired Louis Braille's six-dot system to the "War of the Dots"—a decades-long conflict over competing reading standa...
30 Dec 202515min
How a long-lost yearbook revealed the origin of 'hella,' with Ben Zimmer
1145. In this bonus segment from October, I talk with Ben Zimmer about "hella" and how even yearbook messages can be digitized to help preserve the language record. Ben shares the full story of this s...
25 Dec 202530min
The origin of X in algebra. Why we say ‘how come’ for ‘why.’ Water handles.
1144. This week, we look at the origin of the letter X as the variable for the unknown in algebra. Then, we look at the phrase "how come," explaining why it's more informal than "why" and how its gram...
23 Dec 202517min
2025 Words of the Year, with Jess Zafarris and Danny Hieber
1143. This week, we look at the 2025 words of the year with Jess Zafarris and Danny Hieber. We look at viral slang like "six seven" and cultural terms like "rage bait" and "fatigued." We also look at ...
18 Dec 202524min
'Pride and prejudice' before Jane Austen. Was Parson Brown a real person? Happy Panda.
1142. This week, we look at the history of the phrase "pride and prejudice," which was used frequently before Jane Austen’s 1813 novel. Then, we look at whether Parson Brown from “Winter Wonderland” w...
16 Dec 202515min
The 'sheeple' incident, with Stefan Fatsis
1141. We look at the controversy that caught Stefan Fatsis by surprise when he defined the word "sheeple" for Merriam-Webster, leading to public complaints. We also look at the origin and purpose of t...
11 Dec 202525min
The rise of the 'hamster wheel.' The many names of Santa Claus. Unattractive turtles.
1140. This week, we look at the difference between the modern phrase "hamster wheel" and the older "rat race," and why the former gained popularity. We also look at the similar concept of the hedonic ...
9 Dec 202514min
An inspiring tutor, 'New York System' hot dogs, and 'queen spotting.'
1139. In this bonus discussion with Martha Barnette back in March, we look at Martha's pivotal twelve-year journey with a polyglot tutor who transformed her understanding of ancient Greek, starting wi...
4 Dec 202525min
