Are our vocabularies shrinking? Is bureaucratic double-talk a sinister form of code designed to short-circuit original thought?
Author Don Watson thinks so, and explains why in his latest book Worst Words. But how does his view stack up to language …
A joke’s a joke, but is it still funny in translation? How does a comic have to adapt things for different language audiences? And what’s going on in Malaysia’s burgeoning comedy scene?
Multilingual writer and comedian Kuah Jenhan is in …
You have questions, and we have answers.
But in the process we find out more about how English works, and how it got to be the way it is.
Daniel and Ben empty out the mailbag on this episode of …
Typography is more than just font design.
It affects informational readability — and at times, credibility. It’s contributed terms to our language. And sometimes, there are stories of intrigue hidden in its past.
Linguist Daniel Midgley is the font of …
Is Australian slang carking it? Dying, that is.
One lexicographer is seeing fewer Aussie terms than ever in contemporary slang. Words are always going in and out of fashion, but if the Aussie lingo is changing, can we see what …
Boom, crash, and beep.
These words are onomatopoeic; they sound kind of like the thing they describe. Onomatopoeia has contributed to our vocabulary in some unexpected ways, and may have even helped get language started in …
Weird Al Yankovic’s song “Word Crimes” combines grammar with music, and it’s fun to listen to.
But linguists are pointing out that these word crimes are not so felonious after all.
Linguist Daniel Midgley continues the investigation on this episode …
Weird Al Yankovic’s new parody “Word Crimes” is chock-full of grammar advice — but is it good advice?
Or is it just a three-minute-long language peeve session? What should we take from the song, and what should best be left …
Ben and I are taking a break, getting ready for the next round of language science, news, and interviews. So we’re in repeats for the next few weeks.
But I’m still talking to James Hall every Tuesday.
Can you tell someone’s orientation by the way they talk?
While there’s been a lot of supposition and stereotyping, there’s also a body of linguistic work on this very topic.
Linguist Daniel Midgley swings that way on this episode of …
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