Lexicon Valley - podcast cover

Lexicon Valley

Lexicon Valleybooksmartstudios.com
A podcast about language, with hosts Mike Vuolo, Bob Garfield and John McWhorter.
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Episodes

Flores Man vs. Sulawesi

A linguistic mystery on an island archipeligo of Indonesia. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 30, 201940 minEp. 160

The Lingua Francas

You could speak fluently with half the world's population if you knew these 20 or so languages. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 16, 201937 minEp. 159

Can Climate Influence Language?

As many as half the world's languages are tonal, but a tiny fraction are spoken in arid climates. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 02, 201944 minEp. 158

When Ain’t Was All Right

On the the first person singular of to be . X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 19, 201939 minEp. 157

The Semitic Tongues

On the triconsonantal roots of Semitic languages. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 05, 201945 minEp. 156

Precious Little

Johnny loves his blankie — why do we tack a long e sound onto words to form diminutives? X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 19, 201942 minEp. 155

When Words Collide

On the creation of new English vocabulary. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . A Booksmart Studios production. 154: "When Words Collide." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 06, 201944 minEp. 154

Truth Be Told

An actually very literal discussion of true words. Really! X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 22, 201940 minEp. 153

A Penetrating History of F*%k

On our longtime obsession with the F-word. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 08, 201946 minEp. 152

When Did English Get Happy?

Where does happiness come from? X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 26, 201838 minEp. 151

Why Language Can’t Be Tamed

A conversation with Lane Greene, author of Talk on the Wild Side. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 11, 201839 minEp. 150

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, 201841 minEp. 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, 201847 minEp. 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, 201839 minEp. 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, 201832 minEp. 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, 201839 minEp. 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, 201834 minEp. 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, 201841 minEp. 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, 201842 minEp. 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, 201844 minEp. 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, 201842 minEp. 140

Happy Birthday, OED!

The first full edition of the OED was published in 1928. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 201826 minEp. 139

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, 201838 minEp. 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, 201834 minEp. 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, 201839 minEp. 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, 201844 minEp. 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, 201837 minEp. 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, 201840 minEp. 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, 201837 minEp. 132

Did the Founding Fathers Have a British Accent?

On the way early Americans may have spoken. X: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 20, 201829 minEp. 131
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