The science of the plot twist. Irregardless. Spug.
954. Uh-oh, "irregardless" isn’t going away anytime soon. Take a deep breath while we dig into this hated word’s history, from its first appearance in 1795 to today. And then, do you love a good plot...
14 Nov 202317min
Omnishambles! Military slang across the pond (interview with Ben Yagoda)
953. In honor of Veterans Day, Ben Yagoda tells us tales of military words that marched from the British lexicon to American English and influence the way we speak today. "Omnishambles," "gadget," "bo...
7 Nov 202332min
Cliches. Organic. Bully pulpit. Fimfy.
951. In honor of National Cliché day, we uncover why some overused phrases rub us the wrong way. What is the boundary between idioms, slang, and clichés—and should we give "adulting" a break? Then, w...
31 Okt 202319min
The dark histories behind your favorite scary words, with Jess Zafarris
951. What's the difference between terror and horror? Why was the word for "bear" so scary that it is lost to history? Jess Zafarris, author of "Words from Hell," goes through these stories and more i...
24 Okt 202335min
Namesake. Commentate. Sprigly
950. Nowthen, a town with an odd little name, helps us understand the word "namesake," and then I have some surprising poll results about the much-hated verb "commentate."The "namesake" segment is wri...
17 Okt 202313min
How to write great topic sentences. Fanilects. Throwawayable.
949. Topic sentences aren't just for students! This week, we have real-life, grown-up examples — and you'll finally understand why that concept your English teacher kept talking about will help you wr...
10 Okt 202315min
When 'nice' was bad and 'bully' was good. Is 'preorder' redundant? High-intensity transformer.
948. Think you know where words like "bully," "nice," and "bimbo" come from? Think again! Join me as we explore surprising origins of common words. We'll see how terms like "bully" and "nice" changed ...
3 Okt 202316min
Think faster and talk smarter. Tips from Matt Abrahams that will make you a better writer and speaker
947. Do you wish you could think on your feet faster? Well, Stanford business professor and communication expert Matt Abrahams has insights on having great off-the-cuff conversations that are also sur...
26 Sep 202321min
