Grace Tierney is back with another great book about the word origins, this time “Words Christmas Gave Us"! She regales us with festive stories and we talk about some of the fun traditions and treats of the winter holidays. It’s been a long, unintended break since our last episode, but we’re happy to be back at it, in time to wish everyone very happy holidays! Wordfoolery website Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store This podcast is licensed under a&n...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 123
We spoke with Dr. Anne Curzan about her new book, “Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares about Words”. We talk about language change, inner grammandos, the benefits of learning the rules of texting from one’s students, and of course, surprising connections! Also, please check out the Defeat Depression fundraising event , and the Sudbury Walk/Run on May 25. Anne Curzan’s website Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store This podcas...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 122
Buried deep under volcanic ash lie hundreds of burnt scrolls containing texts from the first century. A new project is driving the work to try to read these chunks of carbon, to uncover new works and open new doors into the past. We spoke to one of the leaders of this project, Dr. Stephen Parsons, about the Vesuvius Challenge, the technical aspects of ‘virtual unrolling’, the possibilities of new classical texts, the development of new ways of doing scholarship, and more. Also, please check out ...
Mar 31, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 121
We talked to Dr. Karen Carr about the global history of swimming — in myth, folktale, and history. Who swam, who didn’t, and how do the stories different cultures told reflect these patterns? We also talked a bit about Dr. Carr’s next book, all about silver, women, and textiles. Dr. Carr’s academic website Dr. Carr’s history website and blog, Quatr.us Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attrib...
Feb 29, 2024•59 min•Ep. 120
We discuss the language and history of the ecological sciences, all the way back to the ancient Greeks, and the development of the food chain and food web models of ecological systems. And apologies for the unscheduled hiatus! Golden Chain Cocktail Food Web video Cuckold video and podcast Frank N. Egerton. “A History of the Ecological Sciences: Early Greek Origins”, Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 82.1 (2001): 93-97 ———, “A History of the Ecological Sciences, Part 2: Aristotle and ...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 119
We talk to Melanie Racette-Campbell about her new book, “The Crisis of Masculinity in the Age of Augustus”, and discuss why Roman elite men were particularly vulnerable to a societal transformation that changed their role in the state. What did it mean to be a good man in ancient Rome, and how and why did that change? Melanie’s book is available here Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribu...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 118
The word “chauvinism” is an unlikely eponym, but it turns out that the story behind it has all sorts of interesting connections. And our discussion of those connections also leads us into the long history of misogyny in the western world, from Eve and Pandora to the Virgin Mary, courtly love, and Victorian womanhood. Cocktail: Pandora’s Jar, from Nectar of the Gods “By Jingo” song Hesiod’s Works and Days Hesiod’s Theogony Semonides 7 Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon...
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 117
We look at the history of English’s conceptualization of time, and update Mark’s research on spatiotemporal metaphor. Also, words for arrows, the surprising origin of ‘toxic’, and a bit of Latin poetry! Blue Arrow cocktail Bow and Arrow cocktail Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License The Endless Knot RSS...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 116
We spoke to Dr. Valerie Fridland about her new book, “Like, Literally, Dude!” and talked about the fascinating role that many ‘errors’ in English speech actually play in communication. We discuss the never-ending changes that English has gone through, the surprisingly sophisticated rules behind our use of ‘um’ and ‘uh’, and much more. Dr. Valerie Fridland’s website Like, Literally, Dude! Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store This podcast is licensed ...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 115
It’s Part 2 of our mega-episode on spelling! This time, we get into some of the notorious mismatches between English spelling and modern English pronunciation. Explaining them takes us all the way back to Phoenician — several times — but maybe, just maybe, some bits of this odd language will make more sense to you when we’re done! The XYZ Cocktail Our video on “Spelling” Christopher Upward & George Davidson, The History of English Spelling (2001) David Sacks, Letter Perfect (2003) Kevin Stro...
Apr 04, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 114
We’re wading into the messy world of English spelling in this episode — the first of two, since we couldn’t fit all of the ‘quirks’ of the language into one episode. The history of orthography in English is all tangled up with the history of the alphabet, so in this part we trace some of the twists and turns that resulted in our modern script. The ABC Cocktail Our video on “Spelling” Christopher Upward & George Davidson, The History of English Spelling (2001) David Sacks, Letter Perfect (200...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 114
In this bonus episode, we answer questions from viewers and listeners during a livestream on our YouTube channel, as part of #LingFest23. Apologies for the sound quality, which isn’t great. Also, sorry that we didn’t manage a regular episode in February, but we’ll definitely have one in March. LingComm23 LingFest @[email protected] Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Sh...
Feb 28, 2023•1 hr 15 min
Just a reminder that we’ll be doing a Q&A livestream on our YouTube channel as part of LingFest in connection to the LingComm23 Conference on Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 1:00pm Eastern. Please leave us your questions on this website, email us, or post on social media, or just show up on the day at the livestream. The livestream will be here , just click on Sunday afternoon to join in!...
Feb 09, 2023•56 sec
In this episode we talk to the authors of two new books on Ovid’s Metamorphoses , the Latin epic poem he wrote in 8 CE. Stephanie McCarter has published a new translation of the poem, and Gareth Williams has written a short interpretive introductory work on the epic to go with the Columbia Core Curriculum. We talked with both of them about the way Ovid fits into contemporary society, what considerations there are when teaching this epic, and the joys and difficulties of engaging with Ovid’s poet...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 113
As we get ready to mark the new year, it seems a good time to talk about a classic cocktail made with sparkling wine: the Bellini. Our conversation takes us to Italy, in the 20th century, the 15th century, and the 1st century BCE, to Renaissance art and the Roman practice of patronage, and more. Happy New Year! “Rewriting the history of art patronage”, by Jaynie Anderson. Renaissance Studies. Vol. 10, No. 2, Women Patrons of Renaissance Art, 1300–1600 (JUNE 1996), pp. 129-138. “Isabella d'Este a...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 112
We welcome back Paul Anthony Jones, of Haggard Hawks fame, to ell us about his new book “Why Is This a Question?”. We talk about how his experience of social media has changed since we last interviewed him in 2016, what it was like researching a book covering such wide-ranging topics, the state of the publishing industry, and more. Haggard Hawks Our previous interview with Paul (episode 21) Citogenesis (the Wikipedia citation problem) coined in xkcd comic Ridley, R. T. “To Be Taken with a Pinch ...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 111
We talk about the origins of music, its connection (both etymological and scientific) with the mind, how language is used to describe and teach music, the Muses, and the Museum of Alexandria. Also featuring brief cameos from music YouTuber 12Tone. Monk’s Muse Cocktail 12Tone’s video “Why Do Notes Have Names?” Ghost Notes Podcast “Future” video Murdoch Mysteries episode “The Dominion of New South Mimico” Language: The Cultural Tool by Daniel Everett Erskine, Andrew. “Culture and Power in Ptolemai...
Oct 29, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 110
We spoke with Tim Brooks of the Endangered Alphabets project about the cultural importance of scripts, the pressures on marginalized and isolated scripts, his beautiful wood carvings, and the various initiatives he and his group have been working on to support script revitalization and creation around the world. Website: Endangered Alphabets Inhabit Media Twitter: @endangeredalpha Instagram: @endangeredalphas Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store Thi...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 109
Commemorating the 6th anniversary of the death of Mark’s father, and the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, this episode connects widows and partition, and while also touching on the legacy of Alexander the Great, the origins of badminton and tennis, and obscure typesetting vocabulary. Merry Widow Cocktail Black Widow Cocktail Olson, Kelly. “Fringed Clothing in Roman Iconography and Written Sources.” Textiles in Ancient Mediterranean Iconography, edited by SUSANNA HARRIS et al., Oxbow Book...
Aug 10, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 108
We have a very fun conversation with Dr. Natalie Swain about her work on classical reception and the polar regions — the Arctic and Antarctic — science fiction, and comics. And Natalie and Mark find lots of overlaps and connections between their interests! “Between the Sheets: Reading the Coverlet as Comics in Catullus 64.” Image [&] Narrative 22.2 (2021) Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics @mazonianfeline #ClassicsTwitterComics Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 107
We’re talking all about the future in this episode — and if we even have one (in English). This is a topic near and dear to Mark’s heart, and in part the subject of his dissertation! We get into the nitty gritty of grammatical tense, ways of thinking about the future, and a mystery cocktail. Our video on the Future Whisky Exchange article about Futurist cocktails Lavery, Gerard B. “Hoc Aeui Quodcumquest : Lucretius and Time.” Latomus, vol. 46, no. 4, 1987, pp. 720–29. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org...
Jun 07, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 105
This episode we have a fascinating conversation with classicist, dramatug, and translator Emma Pauly about all things Dionysian, Greek tragedy, and their translation of Euripides’ Bacchae . We explore how Emma brings their experience with acting and directing to translating and analyzing Greek literature, and how our understanding of the past changes as we develop our understanding of gender and sexuality. Emma’s website Bacchae recording Emma’s translation of the seventh Homeric Hymn to Dionysu...
May 03, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 105
It’s time for some Old Norse, sagas, and daring Viking explorers! In this episode we talk to author Grace Tierney about her newest book, Words the Vikings Gave Us . We had a ton of fun in this conversation, and we’re sure you will too! Grace Tierney’s blog, Wordfoolery Our video on Runes , and NativLang’s matching video Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page Redbubble store This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Internation...
Apr 12, 2022•59 min•Ep. 104
It’s April Fool’s Day, and time for the annual Podcast Switcheroo, where podcasters trade episodes to give their audience something a little different and introduce them to a new show. This year we’ve got an episode from “ The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) ”, all about the joys and embarrassments of singing karaoke. IN this episode hosts Adam Wainwright and Ed Cunard discuss questions like is a karaoke performance a cover song? What do musicians have to say about karaoke? What are the barrier...
Apr 01, 2022•50 min
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! In this episode we talk about the saint’s history, then dig into the potato — its etymology, its history, and how it’s changed the world. With some tangents about batteries, famines, and travel in the Roman world. Old Potato Cocktail Irish Maid Cocktail Potato battery video Monster video Talking Turkey, episode 24 Season to Taste, episode 35 ORBIS Article about Irish Famine Relief by the Choctaw Nation Transcript of this episode This episode on YouTube Our Patreon page...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 103
We’re talking about bread again! This time, about ancient Greek bread — its vocabulary, the many types of bread and how they were made, and the economic aspects of bread production. Josh shares his practical experiences of baking along with his research into the classical Greek world. Josh Nudell’s website Josh on Twitter: @jpnudell Tavola Mediterranea Our previous episode on bread, “Loaf” Thank you to Emma Pauly for editing and transcribing this episode. Transcript of this episode This episode ...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 102
We start off the new year with a three-part discussion of statistics, insurance, stocks, astrologers, coffee, and more. We also trace some of the vocabulary that has come to English from Arabic, along with important mathematical concepts. Podcast recommendation: Khameleon Classics Cocktail: The Revolver Average Part 1 Average Part 2 Average Part 3 Ep 31 CreateICG Ep 39 From Fossil Hunters to Mammoth Cheese Ep 32 Ariadne’s Clue video “How Do We Perceive a Poem?” Ripat, Pauline. “Expelling Misconc...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 101
Our hundredth episode! We’re celebrating reaching three digits — and more than 6 years — with a whole bunch of our podcasting friends! These are just some of the amazing creators who make the independent podcasting world so wonderful, and we’re very happy to be connected to them all. Please check out their shows at the links below. We also give you a brief “State of the Pod” update. Thank you to everyone who’s been with us so far, and here’s to the next century (of episodes)! Thank you to Christ...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 100
We talked to Jeremy Swist about his work on the reception of antiquity in heavy metal music. He discussed the ways the genre looks to the past for stories and imagery, and the many fantastic songs and albums that have been produced from this mix. We also talked about the problems with racism and white nationalism that can plague the intersection of the ancient world and metal music. Playlist of the songs Jeremy mentioned Pour Forth Surquidous track @MetalClassicist Heavy Metal and the Ancient Wo...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 99
It’s Halloween, and the monsters are out! In this episode we tackle Monster Theory (as formulated by J.J. Cohen) , examine the linguistic and cultural origins of a range of Classical and classic movie monsters, look at how they connect to the history of currency and money, and explore the intersections of monsters and the New Woman. We also sample a beautiful cocktail from the upcoming cocktail book Nectar of the Gods by Liv Albert from “Let’s Talk about Myths, Baby” . Thank you, Liv! The Monste...
Oct 27, 2021•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 98
