Slate Debates

Latest Episodes:

A Riot of Color Sep 04, 2018

Show notes

This episode is brought by RXBAR, a whole-food protein bar, made from real, natural ingredients. For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/lexicon and enter promo code lexicon.

Our word for "red" predates our word for "blue"—and that's true for almost every language!

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The Rise of They Aug 21, 2018

Show notes

John McWhorter says that English pronouns are evolving and it's time to embrace it.

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Wabbit Twacks Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

John McWhorter applies linguistic analysis to Looney Tunes.

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Tee Time Jul 24, 2018

Show notes

John McWhorter on what the French Canadian version of The Flintstones can teach us about the letter T.

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Happy Birthday OED! Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

John McWhorter raises an etymological glass to the nonagenarian Oxford English Dictionary.

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If Frozen, Why Not Squozen? Jun 26, 2018

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John McWhorter on language lessons from this year's Tony nominees for Best Musical.

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The Pronouning of Profanities Jun 12, 2018

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John McWhorter on the way in which words like f*ck and sh*t are increasingly standing in for it and that.

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One Tongue to Rule Them All May 29, 2018

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John McWhorter on the tantalizing prospect of a universal language.

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The Art of the Spiel May 15, 2018

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A brief history of oratory from the Gilded Age to the Era of Trump.

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Lend Me Your Ears: Julius Caesar May 09, 2018

Show notes

Lend Me Your Ears is a six-part podcast miniseries exploring how Shakespeare’s works have shaped our modern views on politics. Each month, host Isaac Butler will dig into a different Shakespeare play to explore how Shakespeare was responding to his current events, and how they map onto our own.

In this first episode, Lend Me Your Ears is looking at one of Shakespeare’s most accessible works: Julius Caesar. Why was the Bard so fascinated with the fall of the Roman Republic? Why do we tend to turn to this play when we worry about society’s future? How have contemporary theater makers reinvented Shakespeare’s version of the story for their audiences, especially in troubled political times?

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