Lexicon Valley

Lexicon Valley•booksmartstudios.com

Society & Culture

Education

A podcast about language, with hosts Mike Vuolo, Bob Garfield and John McWhorter.

Last refreshed: May 12th, 2026 at 9:45 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

Is Social Media Changing English?

Many think that online culture is eroding our language skills. Is it true? X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 27, 2018•41 min•Ep. 149

What Was the First Language?

Can we know anything about languages spoken at the dawn of human speech? X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 13, 2018•47 min•Ep. 148

So … Let’s Talk About So

Leading with so is often shorthand for I'm about to do some explaining . X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 30, 2018•39 min•Ep. 147

Like-Minded

There's lots to like about like . X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 16, 2018•32 min•Ep. 146

Why Do Southerners Talk Like That?

A Southern accent is easier to explain than to emulate. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 02, 2018•39 min•Ep. 145

The Habitual Past

You regularly did something but don't any longer. In other words, you used to do it — what an odd expression. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 18, 2018•34 min•Ep. 144

A Riot of Color

Languages tend to get their color words in a certain order. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 04, 2018•41 min•Ep. 143

The Rise of They

The singular they is here to stay and that's a good thing. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 21, 2018•42 min•Ep. 142

Wabbit Twacks

Learning about language from Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 06, 2018•44 min•Ep. 141

Tee Time

It's yabba dabba doo time to talk about the letter T. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 24, 2018•42 min•Ep. 140

If Frozen, Why Not Squozen?

Lessons from this year’s Tony nominees for Best Musical. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 26, 2018•38 min•Ep. 138

The Pronouning of Profanities

How curse words became ordinary parts of speech. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 12, 2018•34 min•Ep. 137

One Tongue to Rule Them All

Many have dreamt of a single common language, but it remains a dream. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 29, 2018•39 min•Ep. 136

The Art of the Spiel

Rhetoric from the Gilded Age to the Era of Trump. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 15, 2018•44 min•Ep. 135

Getting to Yes

Mm-hmm, yep, yeah. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 01, 2018•37 min•Ep. 134

The Story of P

What queues up after elemeno? X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 17, 2018•40 min•Ep. 133

English Spelling is a Beautiful Mess

English is chock-full of letters that are not pronounced, which makes spelling a nightmare. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 03, 2018•37 min•Ep. 132

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Lexicon Valley

Episodes

Is Social Media Changing English?

What Was the First Language?

So … Let’s Talk About So

Like-Minded

Why Do Southerners Talk Like That?

The Habitual Past

A Riot of Color

The Rise of They

Wabbit Twacks

Tee Time

If Frozen, Why Not Squozen?

The Pronouning of Profanities

One Tongue to Rule Them All

The Art of the Spiel

Getting to Yes

The Story of P

English Spelling is a Beautiful Mess

Did the Founding Fathers Have a British Accent?

No-Uh!

The Inner Workings of Out

What's the Deal with Eleven?

There Are Two N-Words

The Thing Is Is

An Accidental Sanctity

Thanksgiving Misnomers

Sometimes Just Because

Against Strunk and White

Whence Baby Mama?

Este No Es Parqueo

From Pidgins to Creoles