Word Matters

Latest Episodes:

34. What Is a 'Retronym'? Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

You probably encounter them all the time: new words created to describe the older version of a thing. (Like an acoustic guitar. Or skim milk.) Let's talk about them. Then, we'll check in on the English language's former 27th letter: &. No, that's not a typo. We're talking about the ampersand. (And how it got that name.)

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

33. Tracing the Origins of Famous Phrases Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

We're catching up on our email! This week, we answer some listener questions about the murky origins of two famous idioms.

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Today's Podcast is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus. Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/matters to receive a free month of unlimited access.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

32. The Story of the Backward Index Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Strange but true: in the basement of our Springfield office, we have a file of 315,000 words typed in reverse. Why would anyone want (or do) such a thing? We'll explain.

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Today's Podcast is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus. Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/mattersto receive a free month of unlimited access.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

31. Why Is It Called an 'Adam's Apple'? Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

The Adam's apple: it's neither an apple nor is it possessed exclusively by people named Adam. We'll talk about why that is, plus another linguistic conundrum: how did 'physician' become a word for "doctor" while 'physicist' stayed in the realm of matter and energy?

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Today's Podcast is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus. Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/mattersto receive a free month of unlimited access.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

30. How We Wrote Our Bilingual Dictionaries Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

We're going deep on dictionary lore this week! Listen in for an interview with editor Peter Sokolowski on how we wrote our French and Spanish bilingual dictionaries.

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Today's Podcast is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus. Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/mattersto receive a free month of unlimited access.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29. There Is No Such Thing as "The Dictionary" Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

No, we don't mean that we've been ghosts this whole time. (Or do we?)

What we're saying is we are not "the" dictionary. We're just one among many, all with their own aims and procedures and standards. We'll explain.

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Today's Podcast is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus. Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/mattersto receive a free month of unlimited access.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28. The Onomatopoeia Episode Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

O-N-O-M-A-T-O-P-O-E-I-A. The forming of a word in imitation of a sound.

First, we'll look at some words that first described a sound (like pop, or buzz) that then went on to describe completely different things (like pop, or buzz). Then, we'll get into the phenomenon known as back-formation, or, the creation of a word by the alteration of an existing word (like burgle from burglar). It leaves some people feeling less than gruntled.

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Today's Podcast is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus. Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/matters to receive a free month of unlimited access.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

27. What's the Longest Word in the Dictionary? Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

This episode is all about dictionary myths and mysteries. Is the longest word the one you think it is? Probably not. Are some words harder to define than others? Undoubtedly. Are there multiple philosophies on how to even write a definition in the first place? You'll find out.

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Today's Podcast is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus. Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/matters to receive a free month of unlimited access.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you pronounce 'often'? Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

First, we examine the common word 'often.' Is one way of saying it more correct than the other? And does the English language delight in making us distrust our eyes and ears? Then, we look into the language of getting out of a rut and the difference between getting "on track" vs. "untracked."

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Today's Podcast is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus. Visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/matters to receive a free month of unlimited access.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25. New Words in the Dictionary Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Language never rests, and neither do we. In January 2021, Merriam-Webster added 520 new words and definitions to the dictionary. In this special episode, editors Emily Brewster and Peter Sokolowski break down the new additions.

Hosted by Emily Brewster, Neil Serven, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski.

Produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.

Transcript available here.

Read more about this new batch of words here.

Today's podcast is sponsored by Audible. Visit audible.com/wordmatters or text "word" to 500-500 to start your free 30 day trial.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.