This episode going to love you are!
Here’s a linguistic puzzle: Why does “I like you” sound okay, but “Like you I” sounds weird and Yoda-ish? Well, that’s just how English rolls: subjects come first. But surprisingly, most other human …
Author: Daniel Midgley (page 13 of 41)
Why does everyone ❤️ and 😡 emoji?
Emoji have been received enthusiastically in our electronic communication, and yet complaints about them continue. Is there anything wrong with using them? Are they really the equivalent of modern-day hieroglyphics? Do they represent …
They’ll, we’ve, you’re, and even ain’t.
This week, we’re having contractions, but not the muscular kind — the word kind! We squash words together all the time, but why? And how well can you recognise them?…
We’re taking your questions on a Mailbag episode!
Along the way, we’re going to find out some pretty strange things about how words and phrases got to be how they are. Do you say zero or oh? What is …
Do you, like, like LIKE?
LIKE is often used and often reviled these days, but not everyone realises that LIKE has a long history. And it follows regular patterns — patterns we seem to know instinctively, but which we have …
Accents are like opinions: everybody’s got one. But how do opinions affect accents?
Listeners want to know: Why do people seem to lose their accent when they sing? And is there any reason why we think some accents sound attractive …
What’s behind the English Only movement?
Some people are trying to make English the “official” language of countries where there’s already a lot of English going on. Is this necessary? What are the pros and cons?
Daniel, Ben, and …
You won’t believe what it takes to make a good linguistic article!
Listicles, or list articles, can be interesting, amusing, and even informative. What goes into the creation of a good linguistic listicle? How can they change someone’s mind about …
How can you make a difference to language?
Linguists are doing a lot of great work, but what if you’re not a linguist? Is there anything that you can do to make the world a better place for language and …
Why don’t monkeys talk to us?
New research tells us that if our primate cousins don’t do language, it’s not because of their vocal tracts. Those appear to be speech-ready. So if the voice is good to go, what’s the …
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- CBAA Awards 2018: Best Radio Program — Talk
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- Talkley Award 2018
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