Category: writing (page 3 of 4)

205: Lost Writing

The written word lasts longer than speech, at least in principle.

But what happens when a writing system is lost in the mist of history? Lost writing can be deciphered, but these scripts have resisted all attempts.

Linguist Daniel Midgley

203: Modern Australian Usage (featuring Nicholas Hudson)

When writers need advice, they turn to editors, and Nicholas Hudson is a formidable presence in the editing world.

But how does his advice stack up linguistically? And what do Australian writers need to know?

Author and editor Nicholas Hudson

196: Irish

The Irish language is attracting a lot of attention.

It’s now a major player among minority languages, but even so, it’s a surprisingly contentious topic for many.

Linguist Daniel Midgley finds out what it’s all about on this episode of …

187: Emoji

Emoji. You know them, you use them — maybe more than you’d like to admit.

But where do they come from? Which ones are most popular? And what new emoji are on the way?

Linguist Daniel Midgley is worth a …

186: No Puns in China

China’s media office is cracking down on puns.

And not because they’re terrible — they claim that wordplay is confusing, and damaging to cultural heritage. But is this just an attempt to control dissent?

By the way, how many characters …

183: The End of Cursive

There’s more than one way to speak English.

But too often, kids who speak other varieties of English find themselves on the wrong side of their teachers. How can educators — and everyone else — avoid linguistic discrimination and value …

177: Speed Reading

Is speed reading for real?

Old techniques and new apps promise to help you read at phenomenal speeds, but do they really help? How can you become a better reader?

Linguist Daniel Midgley goes cover to cover on this episode …

158: English Plurals

Is it octopuses or octopi? What about mongooses? Are they mongeese?

Sure, you can use plural –s, but do you know your way around the unusual plurals of English?

Have no fear — linguist Daniel

150: The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript is 600 years old, written in a strange script, and it’s never been deciphered.

Is it a guide to the universe, a book of secrets, or is it just pages and pages of gibberish? Modern techniques are …

141: Australianisms (featuring Ben Yagoda)

Are you concerned about encroaching Americanism?

Do you worry that words like ketchup and zee will destroy the Australian way of life?

Well, don’t worry; language change works both ways. Americans are picking up words and phrases from Australia. But …

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