 | Linguistic adventures with Helen Zaltzman, TheAllusionist.org. A proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Learn more at radiotopia.fm. RSS: http://feeds.theallusionist.org/Allusionist |
| 152. Asperger | |
| Hans Asperger would have been merely "a footnote in the history of autism", so why did he get to be the eponym in Asperger's syndrome? Because along with the usual problems medical eponyms pose, and his work not really earning him the honour, he collaborated with Nazis and sent children to a hospital where they would be experimented on and even killed. Activist, writer and academic Morénike Giwa Onaiwu discusses the stigma around terms like Asperger?s syndrome and autism, and historian Edith Sheffer talks about Hans Asperger and child psychiatry in Nazi Vienna. Content notes: Nazis, eugenics, ableism, child abuse, murder. There are two versions of this episode. The content is the same, but this version contains background music; if you would prefer one with no music, you can get it right next to where you obtained this one. Find out more information about the topics in this episode at theallusionist.org/asperger, plus a transcript and the full dictionary entry for the randomly selected word. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and not only are you supporting independent podcast, you get fortnightly patron-exclusive video livestreams and a Discord community full of language chat, craft pics and word game camaraderie! The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionist | Listen |
| 152. Asperger - music-free version | |
| Hans Asperger would have been merely "a footnote in the history of autism", so why did he get to be the eponym in Asperger's syndrome? Because along with the usual problems medical eponyms pose, and his work not really earning him the honour, he collaborated with Nazis and sent children to a hospital where they would be experimented on and even killed. Activist, writer and academic Morénike Giwa Onaiwu discusses the stigma around terms like Asperger?s syndrome and autism, and historian Edith Sheffer talks about Hans Asperger and child psychiatry in Nazi Vienna. Content notes: Nazis, eugenics, ableism, child abuse, murder. There are two versions of this episode. The content is the same, but this version contains no background music, just speech; if you would prefer one with music, you can get it right next to where you obtained this one. Find out more information about the topics in this episode at theallusionist.org/asperger, plus a transcript and the full dictionary entry for the randomly selected word. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and not only are you supporting independent podcast, you get fortnightly patron-exclusive video livestreams and a Discord community full of language chat, craft pics and word game camaraderie! The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.co | Listen |
| 151. The Bee's Knees | |
| Bad hats, cat's pyjamas, banting, goops, creatures, and playing possum - what WERE people going on about during the Golden Age of detective fiction? Caroline Crampton of Shedunnit podcast and I get sleuthing into the slang of the mystery novels of the 1920s and 1930s. Find out more information about the topics in this episode at theallusionist.org/beesknees, plus a transcript and the full dictionary entry for the randomly selected word. Versions of this episode were originally released by Caroline Crampton's Shedunnit podcast and the Shedunnit Book Club. Find both at shedunnitshow.com. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and not only are you supporting independent podcast, you get fortnightly patron-exclusive video livestreams and a Discord community full of language chat, craft pics and word game camaraderie. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs via palebirdmusic.com. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show this year, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Bombas, whose mission is to make the comfiest clothes ever, and match every item sold with an equal item donated. Go to bombas.com/allusionist to get 20% off your first purchase. ? | Listen |
| 150. The Egg's Warning | |
| "Warning: read and keep," says the piece of paper inside Kinder Surprise Eggs, in 34 languages; yet most people do neither thing. But sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris did read and keep it, and study what the egg is trying to tell us: about Kinder Egg toy safety, yes, but also about multilingualism, about an object that says 'yes!' but the warning says 'no!', about the signs of human idiosyncracy that show themselves even in a mandatory corporate message. Find out more information about the topics in this episde at theallusionist.org/kinderegg, plus a transcript and the full dictionary entry for the randomly selected word. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and not only are you supporting independent podcast, you get fortnightly patron-exclusive video livestreams and a Discord community full of language chat, craft pics and word game camaraderie! The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The music is by Martin Austwick, made with Kinder Eggs. Hear Martin?s own songs via palebirdmusic.com. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show this year, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Bombas, whose mission is to make the comfiest clothes ever. and match every item sold with an equal item donat | Listen |
| 149. Complex PTSD | |
| Complex PTSD is different to PTSD, but there's not that much understanding of it as its own condition - which was not much help to Stephanie Foo when she was diagnosed with it in 2018. We talk about facing trauma rather than burying it, self-care and self-soothing, endurance being an underrated word, and why people can quit sniping about triggers. Stephanie?s new book is What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma. Content note: Stephanie refers fleetingly to the parental violence and abandonment she experienced, and we also mention sexual violence; but, we don?t discuss any of these things in detail. It?s a more general conversation about psychology and trauma, rather than stories of traumatisation. There are also a couple of swears. Find out more information about the topics in this episde at theallusionist.org/cptsd, plus a transcript and the full dictionary entry for the randomly selected word. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and not only are you supporting independent podcast, you get fortnightly patron-exclusive video livestreams and a Discord community full of language chat, craft pics and word game camaraderie! The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs via palebirdmusic.com.%0 | Listen |
| 148. Bonus 2021 | |
| I've been saving them up all year, and now it's time for the annual selection box of Bonus Bits! Things this year's guests said that couldn't fit into their episode, or weren't related to language, but ARE related to being a bonus bit. We've got percussive pan protests; the mating habits, and male-killing habits, of ladybirds; Icelandic aunts/uncles/cousins/wait which member of the extended family are you referring to?; Morse code machines; and a surprisingly heated topic, the semantics of salad. Links to all the original episodes featuring these guests are at theallusionist.org/bonus2021, plus a transcript and the full dictionary entry for the randomly selected word. The show will return in February 2022, but sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist for patron-exclusive livestreams in January! The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Visit theallusionist.org/merch to obtain your Potato Fugue State sweatshirts and multidenominational Wintervalwear. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This epis | Listen |
| 147. Survival: Today, Tomorrow part 2 | |
| "It's really good if we can get the changes through here - that can be an inspiration for other other countries or other places in the world," says Þorbjörg Þorvaldsdóttir, chair of Samtökin ?78, the national queer organization of Iceland. In 2019, Iceland passed the Gender Autonomy Act, which added an option for people to register their official gender as X; with it, the country's strictly binary-gendered naming laws were suddenly transformed. Other changes, like a new genderfree pronoun, are catching on; but overhauling a whole grammatically gendered language is no easy undertaking. Find out more about the topics covered in this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/todaytomorrow2; and browse down your podfeed to listen to Today, Tomorrow part 1 about how Icelandic officially obtains new words, and navigates the challenges of being an old language in the present day; and the episode Name V Law, about the Icelandic Naming Committee and the strict laws before the updates discusssed in this episode. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get behind the scenes glimpses, bonus etymologies, a trip around Iceland's museums via me, AND a delightful community of Teamlusionists! The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusio | Listen |
| 146. Survival: Today, Tomorrow part 1 | |
| The Icelandic language has remained so stable over the centuries, speakers can read manuscripts from 900 years ago without too much trouble. And when they need a new word for more recent concepts, there are committees to coin one, so that the modern Icelandic lexicon includes such things as the internet, helicopters and mansplaining. Defending the language from the encroachment of English, however, is rather more challenging. Find out more about the topics covered in this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/todaytomorrow1. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get behind the scenes glimpses, bonus etymologies, a trip around Iceland's museums via me, AND a delightful community of Teamlusionists! The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Catan, the building and trading board game where no two games are the same. Allusionist listeners get 10 percent off the original base game at catanshop.com%2 | Listen |
| Allusionist 145. Parents | |
| When you're trans and pregnant, some of the vocabulary of pregnancy, birth and parenting might not fit you. In face, some of it might not even work for people of ANY gender. Trans parents Freddy McConnell and CJ talk about gender-additive language, inclusive for women and other genders, and about how in English law, the word 'mother' becomes semantically very complicated indeed. Find out more about the topics covered in this episode at theallusionist.org/parents. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get behind the scenes glimpses and bonus etymologies, AND a delightful community of Teamlusionists! The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet - and super-smooth undies and T-shirts too. Get 20 percent off your first purchase at bombas.com/allusionist. ? Acorn TV, the streaming service featuring hundreds of dramas, mysteries and comedi | Listen |
| Allusionist 144. Aro Ace | |
| The word 'asexual' has been used by humans describing themselves for several decades; 'aromantic' is newer. Both words enable people to voice identities that were unacknowledged for centuries, to find each other and build communities together, and to provide counternarratives to what the allosexuals are pushing. Lewis Brown, a writer and poet, speaks on behalf of AUREA, the Aromantic spectrum Union for Recognition, Education and Advocacy, about the history and use of 'asexual' and 'aromantic'. Happy Ace Week! aceweek.org. Find out more about the topics covered in this episode at theallusionist.org/aroace. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get behind the scenes glimpses and bonus etymologies, AND a delightful community of Teamlusionists! The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running a sleek website. Go to squarespace.com/allusion | Listen |
| 143. Hedge Rider | |
| Today it's the etymologies you requested! And a few you didn't! We've got witches, wizards, warlocks; conjurers and cloves; wood shavings, nice gone nasty, and a whole lot more. Plus, a bold method of scaring away a ghost, if you must. Find out more about the topics covered in this episode at theallusionist.org/hedgerider. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get behind the scenes glimpses and bonus etymologies. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Acorn TV, the streaming service featuring hundreds of dramas, mysteries and comedies from around the world. Try Acorn TV free for 30 days, by going to Acorn.TV and using my promo code allusionist. (Be sure to type that code in lower case.) ? Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet - and super-smooth undies and T-shirts too. Get 20 percent off your first purchase at bombas.com/allusionist. ? Catan, the | Listen |
| 142. Zero | |
| Did any number cause as much trouble as zero? It stranded ships; it scrambles the brains of mathematicians, calendar users and computers; it even got itself banned in Florence. Math(s) communicator and drag queen Kyne explains the Terminator of numbers. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/foodquiz. And submit requests for words you'd like me to investigate in the next episode at theallusionist.org/requests. Until 4 October 2021, you can stream the London Podfest performance of the new Allusionist stage show, full of eponyms, music and planets. Link is at theallusionist.org/events. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get behind the scenes glimpses, and discounted tickets for the Allusionist stage show. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet - and super-smooth undies and T-shirts too. Get 20 percent off your fi | Listen |
| 141. Food Quiz | |
| Quiz time! Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway of Home Cooking podcast join to deliver questions about food etymology, as well as what are the two words that make a dance track, and whether 'za' is an acceptable abbreviation for 'pizza'. Play along and keep track of your score using the interactive scoresheet at theallusionist.org/foodquiz. For the rest of September 2021, you can stream the London Podfest performance of the new Allusionist live show, full of eponyms, music and planets. Link is at theallusionist.org/events. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get behind the scenes glimpses, and discounted tickets for the Allusionist live show. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Let me know what you scored in the quiz! Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet - and super-smooth undies and T-shirts too. Get 20 percent off your first purchase at bombas.com/allusionis | Listen |
| Allusionist 140. Num8er5 | |
| We use verbal numbers and we use numerals - why do we need both? Why do we have the ones we have? What happened to Roman numerals? And what's loserish about the fiftieth Super Bowl? Stephen Chrisomalis, professor of anthropology and linguistics and author of the book Reckonings: Numerals, Cognition and History, returns to the Allusionist to explain our current numbers, and why we shouldn't get too arrogant about them. There's more about this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/numbers. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get discounted tickets to the upcoming Allusionist live show on 4 September 2021. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Acorn TV, the streaming service featuring hundreds of dramas, mysteries and comedies from around the world. Try Acorn TV free for 30 days, by going to Acorn.TV and using my promo code allusionist. (Be sure to type that code in lower case.)%A | Listen |
| Tranquillusionist: 282 Salads | |
| This is the Tranquillusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, read all the salads from the 1950 recipe book 282 Ways of Making a Salad, with Favourite Recipes by British and American Personalities and Stars by Bebe Daniels and Jill Algood, with the purpose of giving your internal monologue a break by replacing it with some absolutely inconsequential words. Note: this is NOT the usual Allusionist. You will not learn anything about language at all, in fact the ideal outcome of the Tranquillusionists is that you?re asleep before the end. Find all the Allusionist episodes - other Tranquillusionists and also ones that are actually about something - at theallusionist.org. The original music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. And listen to his podcasts Neutrino Watch and Song By Song. Come to see me and Martin perform an all new Allusionist live show at the London Podcast Festival on 4 September 2021! Tickets to attend in-room or online are available via theallusionist.org/events, where you'll also find information about the Raise Three Fingers fundraiser for Myanmar that I'm cohosting with MiMi Aye in London on 22 August. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Support the show by becoming a patron at pa | Listen |
| 139 Ladybird Ladybug | |
| They're not ladies and they're not birds; they're not even technically bugs! But that's not the most surprising thing about ladybirds/ladybugs and their brilliant variety of names. Tamsin Majerus AKA Dr Ladybird explains why ladybirds are so great; and Johanna Mayer and Elah Feder of the podcast Science Diction, about words and the science stories behind them, consider what's in a (ladybird) name. This episode is one half of a collaboration with Science Diction, so go to their feed to listen to their episode It?ll Never Fly, where they set me a quiz about the outlandish and intriguing names given to fruitfly genes. There's more about this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/ladybird. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get discounted tickets to the upcoming Allusionist live show on 4 September 2021, plus the story of my all too brief spell of having a loveliness of pet ladybirds. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.production | Listen |
| 138. Mind My Mind | |
| Crazy, insane, nuts, mad, bonkers, psycho, schizo, OCD - casual vocabulary is strewn with mental health terms, but perhaps shouldn't be? Psychotherapist and podcaster Lily Sloane talks about what we're really saying when we use such words. Content note: in the second half of the show there is some mention of eating disorders. So if that?s not what you need to hear about today, tap out at the ad break. There's more about this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/mind-my-mind. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist by the end of June 2021, and I'll record the word or phrase of your choice to use as your phone alert or alarm! The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor an episode of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: ? Acorn TV, the streaming service featuring hundreds of dramas, mysteries and comedies from around the world. Try Acorn TV free for 30 days, by going to Acorn.TV and using my promo code allusionist. (Be sure to type that code in lower case.) %3 | Listen |
| 137. Dude | |
| Exclamation; sign of agreement OR disapproval; gendered, but circumstantially gender-neutral; term of endearment: 'dude' can do it all! But its connotations of a laid-back, cool, masculine person are only a few decades old; before that, it meant...an uptight city-dwelling tourist?? Dude, seriously! There's more about this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/dude. Callie Wright's podcast is Queersplaining, which you can find in the kinds of places you obtain this podcast, and at queersplaining.com. Want to be barked awake/gently introduced to the day by me saying the word of your choice? Become a patreon at patreon.com/allusionist by the end of this month of June 2021, and I will record the word or short phrase of your choice to use as your phone alert or alarm! All patrons get to choose a word, and all patrons get the recordings of all the patrons? choices. This is going to be fun. Oh and you?re helping fund the show too, of course. The Allusionist theme is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. His new podcast is Neutrino Watch, and it's different every time you download it. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow | Listen |
| 136. Misogynoir | |
| ?It's hard to address something if you can't actually name what it is,? says Moya Bailey, who coined a term that enables people to discuss a specific combination of racism and sexism: misogynoir. Find Moya Bailey's work at moyabailey.com. Her new book is Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women's Digital Resistance. There's more about this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/misogynoir. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This episode is sponsored by: ? Acorn TV, the streaming service featuring hundreds of dramas, mysteries and comedies from around the world. Try Acorn TV free for 30 days, by going to Acorn.TV and using my promo code allusionist. (Type that code in lower case!) ? BetterHelp, online therapy with licensed professional counsellors. Allusionist listeners get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/allusionist. ? Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running a sleek website. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free trial, and get 10 percent off your | Listen |
| 135. SOS | |
| SOS is a really versatile distress call. You can shout it; you can tap it out in Morse code; you can honk it on a horn; you can signal it with flashes of light; you can spell it out on the beach with debris from your wrecked ship. Explaining where SOS came from and what it means are maritime archivist Christian Ostersehlte from the German Maritime Museum, and Paul Tyreman from PK Porthcurno, the Museum of Global Telecommunications. Find more information about the topics in this episode at theallusionist.org/sos. There are a couple of category B swears in this episode. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This episode is sponsored by: ? Skillshare, the online learning community with thousands of inspiring classes for creative and curious people. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/allusionist and get a free trial of Premium Membership. ? Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet. Give a pair when you buy a pair, and get twenty percent off your first purchase at bombas.com/allusionist. ? | Listen |
| Allusionist: Eclipse+ | |
| It?s August 2007. Lauren Marks is a 27-year-old actor and a PhD student, spending the month directing a play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She?s in a bar, standing onstage, performing a karaoke duet of ?Total Eclipse of the Heart??and then a blood vessel in her brain bursts. When she wakes up in hospital, days later, she has no internal monologue, and a vocabulary of only about forty words. This is a rerun of an all time fave Allusionist, but with a few extra little bits added. Content note: this episode is about a medical crisis (everyone survives, though!), and has some Category A swears in it. Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/totaleclipse, and more about Lauren at http://astitchoftime.com. The special music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This episode is sponsored by: ? Build For Tomorrow, a a podcast that digs into a big question, historical moment, or critical innovation that can help us understand how change happens. Subscribe in the pod places! ? BetterH | Listen |
| 134. Lacuna | |
| If you were in Brazil during the military dictatorship of 1964-1985, tried to bake a cake from a recipe in the newspaper, and were served with a sorry mess that tasted disgustingly salty, it wasn't your fault. What you thought was a recipe was actually a message from the newspaper that they were being censored. Designer and researcher Crystian Cruz opens up the TOP SECRET files, to share the fake weather reports, single nipples vs a pair, soap opera characters getting bumped off, and the problems with kung fu. Find more information about the topics in this episode at theallusionist.org/lacuna. There is one swear towards the end of this episode. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This episode is sponsored by: ? Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet. Give a pair when you buy a pair, and get twenty percent off your first purchase at bombas.com/allusionist. ? Catan, the building and trading board game where no two games are the same. Allusionist listeners get 10 percent off the origina | Listen |
| 133. Cake is Mighter than the Sword | |
| What to do to stick it to the powers that be? Send your message through something they really care about: cake. In Buenos Aires, local tour guides Madi Lang and Juan Palacios introduce me to priest's balls and little cannons, the pastries laced with the sweet taste of 1880s trade union protests. There are a few swears and saucy references in this episode. Find more information about the topics in this episode at theallusionist.org/cake-sword. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This episode is sponsored by: ? Soft Voice, a terrific new fiction podcast about the mental health of 25-year-old London estate agent Lydia. Subscribe now on your pod app of choice. ? BetterHelp, online therapy with licensed professional counsellors. Allusionist listeners get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/allusionist. ? Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running a sleek website. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allus | Listen |
| 132. Additions and Losses | |
| "Sometimes I've heard people talk about losing a child and people say it's like losing a limb. And as someone who's lost both things, I just want to say, the realities are very different." Musician and writer Christa Couture has experienced way too much of people trying to convey sympathy and instead expressing their discomfort about disability and death. Content note: we talk about ableism, cancer and bereavement. Part of the conversation is about the deaths of two of Christa's babies, so stop listening at the 20-minute mark if you need not to hear about that subject right now. Find more about this episode at theallusionist.org/additions-losses. Christa Couture's website is christacouture.com. Her excellent new memoir How To Lose Everything is out now, and her music is available on Bandcamp, Spotify etc. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. If you'd like to sponsor the Allusionist this year, contact Amanda McLoughlin via multitude.productions/contact. This episode is sponsored by: ? Skillshare, the online learnin | Listen |
| 131. Podlingual | |
| In their podcasts Mija and Moonface, Lory Martinez and James Kim create autobiographical fiction in multiple languages. There are a few swears in this episode. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/podlingual and hear the whole conversation, and the others in the series, on Scripps College's podcast feed. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. If you'd like to sponsor the Allusionist this year, contact Amanda McLoughlin via multitude.productions/contact. This episode is sponsored by: ? Brooklinen, luxury bedding without the mark-ups. Go to Brooklinen.com and use promo code allusionist to get $25 off when you spend $100 or more, PLUS free shipping. ? BetterHelp, licensed online counselling via video or phone, wherever you are in the world. Allusionist listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/allusionist. ? Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running a sleek website. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first | Listen |
| 130. Valentine | |
| St Valentine's name may nowadays be all over the romance-related merch for 14 February, but he was also the patron saint of beekeepers, epilepsy and plagues. Let's get to know this multi-hyphenate saint a bit better. Find out more about topics covered in this episode at theallusionist.org/valentine. All the information in this episode is real, even though it sounds like it's not. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. If you'd like to sponsor the Allusionist this year, contact Amanda McLoughlin via multitude.productions/contact. This episode is sponsored by: ? Brooklinen, luxury bedding without the mark-ups. Go to Brooklinen.com and use promo code allusionist to get $25 off when you spend $100 or more, PLUS free shipping. ? Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet. Get twenty percent off your first purchase at Bombas.com/allusionist. ? Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running a sleek website. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent of | Listen |
| 129. Sorry | |
| Apologies are such important verbal transactions. So why are so many of them soooo bad? Susan McCarthy and Marjorie Ingalls from SorryWatch and Laura Beaudin of fauxpolo.gy pinpoint what to look out for, to sort the apologies from the fauxpologies. There?s more about this episode at theallusionist.org/sorry. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionists how and instagram.com/allusionistshow. If you'd like to sponsor the Allusionist this year, email info (at) multitude (dot) productions. This episode is sponsored by: ? Skillshare, the online learning community with thousands of inspiring classes for creative and curious people. Get a free trial of Premium Membership at Skillshare.com/allusionist. ? Brooklinen, luxury bedding without the mark-ups. Go to Brooklinen.com and use promo code allusionist to get $25 off when you spend $100 or more, PLUS free shipping. ? Bombas, makers of the most comfortable socks in the history of feet. Get twenty percent off your first purchase at Bombas.com/allusionist. Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionis | Listen |
| 128. Bonus 2020 | |
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To round off the year, here are some choice cuts from the Allusionist vault of interesting things that guests said that there wasn?t room for in the original episodes. Brace yourself for a vivid name for dust bunnies, the scary side of glamour, another reason to be grateful for bears, and Schrödinger?s Fart. There?s more about this episode at theallusionist.org/bonus2020. The show will be back with new episodes in late January 2021. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This month | Listen |
| 127. A Festive Hit for 2020 | |
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The usual canon of Christmas songs may not really fit people's moods in this year 2020, when I'm not sure a lot of us are feeling all that holly jolly. So I drafted in singer and songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs and we wrote a festive song that is suitable for 2020. Content note: there are swears. Several of them. Jenny Owen Youngs makes music - find it at jennyowenyoungs.com - and podcasts - Buffering the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars Investigations. She?s @jennyowenyoungs on Twitter and Instagram. Martin Austwick provided music, backing vocals and linguistic analysis. Hear Martin?s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the kids? science podcast Maddie?s Sound Explorers. There?s more about this episode at theallusionist.org/mistletoe. The Allusionist's online home is Listen | |
| 126. Survival: Custodians of the Languages | |
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In Australia, there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of languages. Until English arrived. Rudi Bremer and Karina Lester talk about the destruction and revival of indigenous Australian languages. Content note: this episode refers to violence and genocide. Find more information about the topics in this episode at theallusionist.org/custodians, and listen to the other episodes in the Survival series: Second Home about Welsh in Patagonia; Oot in the Open, about the suppression and revival of Scots; and Bequest, about queer language in M?ori; and the pair of Key episodes are about language extinction and preservation. The Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at | Listen |
| 125. Swearalong Quiz | |
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Fill your lungs and get ready to shout out some profane answers: it?s the Swearlusionist Swearalong Quiz! Every answer is a swear word. Swearing, as we know, is good for your health, plus helps vent stress, and you?ll learn many etymological facts along the way, so this is a very wholesome and educational quiz. CONTENT NOTE: this episode contains swears. Surprise! Find more information about the topics in this episode at theallusionist.org/swearalong. The Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the new kids? science podcast Maddie?s Sound Explorers. I make two other podcasts, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, which are soothingly escapist. The Allusionist's online home is Listen | |
| 124. Nightmare | |
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This is the Alloooooooooosionist, in which we learn about the etymology of some scary words for Halloween, with the help of Paul Bae of The Black Tapes and The Big Loop podcasts, and Chelsey Weber-Smith of the podcast American Hysteria. Beware of demons! Satan! The bogeyman! Lemurs! Wait - lemurs?? Find more information about these topics and guests at theallusionist.org/nightmare. The Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the new kids? science podcast Maddie?s Sound Explorers. I make two other podcasts, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, which are soothingly escapist. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org | Listen |
| 123. Celebrity | |
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Celebrity used to mean a solemn occasion; X factor was algebraic; and fame was a huge terrifying Godzilla-like beast with many many tongues. Here to try define celebrity and fame are historian Greg Jenner of the podcast You?re Dead To Me, Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger of Who? Weekly podcast, and writer, podcaster and videomaker Hank Green. Find more information about these topics and guests at theallusionist.org/celebrity. The Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the new kids? science podcast Maddie?s Sound Explorers. I make two other podcasts, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, which are soothingly escapist. The Allusionist's online home is thea | Listen |
| 122. Ghostwriter | |
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The word for ?ghostwriter? in French is a racist slur. How did THAT come about? And what word could French-speakers use instead? Ngofeen Mputubwele and Gregory Warner investigate. This piece originally aired on NPR?s Rough Translation; hear their new season at npr.org and on your pod app. Content note: the piece is about, and therefore contains, offensive terms. And towards the end of the episode, in the Minillusionist, I get into the racist violent etymology of the word ?bulldozer?. The Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the new kids? science podcast Maddie?s Sound Explorers. I make two other podcasts, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, which are soothingly escapist. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at Listen | |
| 121. No Title | |
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In 2014, a seemingly trivial and boring incident at the bank propelled me down a linguistic road via medieval werewolves, Ms Marvel and confusingly inscribed gravestones, to find out why the English language is riddled with all this gender. What?s it FOR? How did it GET there? Will it go AWAY now please? It is, at the very least, taking up brainspace and not paying any rent. This is a recording of a live performance at the Blueberry Hill Duck Room in St Louis, Missouri on 23 November 2019, and there were visuals happening, so I?ll drop in sometimes to explain them, and I?ve also put a transcript and pictures at theallusionist.org/notitle. There are swears in this. There are also arguments that will be very useful to you if you ever come up against a denier of singular they. You will definitely win. The show features Martin Austwick and Richard Zaltzman. The original music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the new kids? science podcast Maddie?s Sound Explorers. The Allusi | Listen |
| Tranquillusionist: Home and Garden | |
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This is the Tranquillusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, quell anxiety and calm brain frenzies by replacing your interior monologue with words detached from significance. In this case: the list of HGTV original programming, and lawnmower adverts from before I was born. Find this episode and a transcript and some pics of lawnmower ads at theallusionist.org/homeandgarden, and all the Allusionist episodes - other Tranquillusionists and also ones that are actually about something - at theallusionist.org. The original music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the new kids? science podcast Maddie?s Sound Explorers. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Listen to them all for free on your podding app or at radiotopia.fm. I | Listen |
| The Away Team redux | |
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After yet another spell of the British press and politicians using very dehumanising and derogatory rhetoric about migrants, I felt it necessary to go back to the Away Team episode of the Allusionist, about the language of migration, with lecturer and researcher Emma Briant, and author and editor Nikesh Shukla. This episode originally went out in early 2017, but it is never not relevant. And there?s a chunk of new material in the Minillusionist, so stick around right till the end to hear that. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/migration2020. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This month, the Allusionist is sponsored by: | Listen |
| 120. Shine Theory | |
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It?s great when you coin a phrase that really resonates with people, right? Until they start using it for businesses and ventures that are at odds with the meaning of it? Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, hosts of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend and authors of the new book Big Friendship, talk about what their term Shine Theory really means and what they had to do to keep it that way. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/shinetheory. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Find them all at radiotopia.fm. And - it?s Radiotopia?s annual survey! If you?ve got a moment to tell us your feelings about podcasts in general and ours more specifically, head to survey.prx.org/ALLUSIONIST. Your responses are anonymous and none the information you tell us is given to Evilcorp, but it IS is hugely useful for figuring out how to make our shows to your liking. Thanks in advance! The Allusionist's online home is Listen | |
| 119. Blood Is Not Water | |
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The Yiddish word for ?black? is, in certain uses, a slur. So Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell, Arun Viswanath and Jonah Boyarin teamed up to translate Black Lives Matter without it. Find out more about this episode, the subject matter and the interviewees, at theallusionist.org/yiddishblm. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Find them all at radiotopia.fm. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, | Listen |
| 118. Survival: Bequest | |
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When the Europeans arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as guns, stoats and Christianity, they brought ideas of cisgender monogamous heterosexuality that were imposed upon the M?ori people as if there had never been anything else. But one word, takat?pui, proved otherwise. Lecturer Hemi Kelly and activist Elizabeth Kerekere excavate the linguistic evidence that pre-colonisation, M?ori culture had included myriad sexual orientations, gender fluidity and polyamory. Find out more about this episode, the subject matter and the interviewees, at theallusionist.org/bequest. Other episodes in the Survival series include Second Home, about the Welsh language seeking a haven in Argentina, Oot in the Open, about the suppression and revival of the Scots language, and The Key, about language demise and revival. Allusionist episodes covering LGBTQIA+ terms and oppression include | Listen |
| 117. Many Ways At Once | |
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The Scots language didn?t have much of an LGBTQ+ lexicon. So writer and performer Dr Harry Josephine Giles decided to create one. Find out more about this episode, the subject matter and the interviewees, at theallusionist.org/manywaysatonce. Previous Allusionist episodes that are useful for providing context for this episode include Oot in the Open, Queer and Two Or More. And Josie has written up a very interesting document about the LGBTQ+ lexicon in Scots which you can read at bit.ly/lgbtscots. Wishing you all an excellent and kind Pride month. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Find them all at Listen | |
| 116. My Dad Excavated A Porno | |
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The word ?pornography? arrived in English in the 1840s so upper class male archaeologists could talk about the sexual art they found in Pompeii without anyone who wasn?t an upper class male archaeologist knowing about it. Even though, at the same time, Victorian England was awash with what we?d now term pornography. Dr Kate Lister of Whores of Yore and pornography historian Brian Wilson of histsex.com explain the history of the word, and how the Victorian Brits dealt with material that gave them stirrings in their trousers. Sorry, ?sit-down-upons?. ?Inexpressibles?! If they couldn?t even express trousers, it?s little wonder they struggled to cope with pornography. Content note: though the episode is educational and thoroughly untitillating - I know, I know, what a disappointment - the nature of the topic is such that the episode may not be suitable for all audiences or circumstances. Find out more about this episode, the subject matter and the interviewees, at theallusionist.org/pornography. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Find them all at Listen | |
| 115. Keep Calm and | |
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Twenty years ago, a 1939 poster printed by the British government with the words ?Keep Calm and Carry On? turned up in a second-hand bookshop in Northern England. And lo! A decor trend was born: teatowels, T-shirts, mugs, phone cases, condoms, and a zillion riffs on the phrase. Bookshop owner Stuart Manley talks about unearthing the poster that spawned countless imitations; author Owen Hatherley explains why the poster was NOT, in fact, an exemplar of Blitz Spirit and British bulldog courage and whatnot; and psychologist and therapist **Jane Gregory **considers whether being told to keep calm can keep us calm. Find out more about this episode, the subject matter and the interviewees, at theallusionist.org/keepcalm. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Find them all at | Listen |
| Tranquillusionist: Punchlines | |
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This is the Tranquillusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, in the interests of temporarily trying to stop that feeling where you think your brain is trying to claw its way out of your skull, read the punchlines to classic jokes. This episode, including a transcript, resides at theallusionist.org/punchlines; see if you can figure out all the jokes they belong to. Find all the Allusionist episodes - other Tranquillusionists and also ones that are actually about something - at theallusionist.org. The original music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Listen to them all for free on your podding app or at radiotopia.fm. I make two other podcasts, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, | Listen |
| Tranquillusionist: Best In Show | |
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This is the Tranquillusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, for the purposes of calming a frazzled brain, read the winners of Best In Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. This episode resides at theallusionist.org/best-in-show; you can find all the Allusionist episodes, including other Tranquillusionists, at theallusionist.org. The original music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Listen to them all for free on your podding app or at radiotopia.fm. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at | Listen |
| Tranquillusionist: Nmiigea | |
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This is the Tranquillusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, for the purposes of quelling anxiety and stress and sleeplessness, read the lyrics to ?Imagine? by John Lennon, with the words arranged in reverse alphabetical order. This episode resides at theallusionist.org/nmiigea; you can find all the Allusionist episodes, including other Tranquillusionists, at theallusionist.org. The original music is by Martin Austwick, based on the chords of ?Imagine? in alphabetical order. Hear Martin?s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Listen to them all for free on your podding app or at radiotopia.fm. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org | Listen |
| 115. Tranquillusionist | |
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We interrupt the Allusionist break to bring an emergency calming episode. I asked you listeners which words you find soothing. Here they are. Put this episode on a loop to help you sleep; play it to quell your inner monologue; use it as an unreasonably long text tone; whatever you want. View a list of the words at theallusionist.org/tranquillusionist, and find all the Allusionist episodes at theallusionist.org. Martin Austwick composed the beautiful music. Find his songs at palebirdmusic.com, and he?s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Listen to them all for free on your podding app or at radiotopia.fm. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at Listen | |
| 114. Alarm Bells | |
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The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Find them all at radiotopia.fm. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This month, the Allusionist is sponsored by: | Listen |
| 113. Zaltzology | |
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Today?s episode is something a bit different to usual. A few months ago, I was a guest on the podcast Ologies, a terrific show where the very funny and delightful and curious Alie Ward interviews an ologist of some kind - bisonologist (ologist of bisons), ludologist (video games), corvid thanatology (crow funerals!). Alie interviewed me as an etymologist (I?m not a qualified etymologist, mind; just an enthusiast), and we cover etymologies of words including ?buxom?, ?mediocre?, ?coccyx?, ?lacuna?, bust some etymological myths, discuss some broader attitudes towards language, and wonder why so many people hate the word ?moist?. Here?s some of our conversation; you can hear the full-length version on Ologies. | Listen |
| 112. Quiz 2019 | |
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For your last Allusionist of 2019, here is a quiz all about words for you to play along with as you listen. Get a pen and paper to jot down your answers, or there?s an interactive answer form all ready for you at theallusionist.org/2019quiz. Let me know how you score in the quiz a at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. The show will be back in January 2020. For all Allusionist episodes, extra material, transcripts, merch etc, visit http://theallusionist.org. If you enjoyed this quiz, you can also play the 2018 quiz at theallusionist.org/2018quiz. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Support our work by making a donation at radiotopia.fm, and along with the warm glow of satisfaction at helping us make more of the podcasts you like, you can get such rewards as challenge coins, stickers%2 | Listen |
| Allusionist special: Podcast Podcast | |
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To celebrate Radiotopia?s fundraiser, here?s a special episode about the word that brought us all together? aaand a lot of you hate it. This piece was recorded in front of a live audience at PodCon in Seattle. If you love podcasts, or more specifically this podcast, or slightly less specifically but still quite specifically the podcasts in the Radiotopia collective, get involved by making a donation at Radiotopia.fm! You can get swag that?s exclusive to this fundraiser, or just purchase the glow of satisfaction at funding the audiotainment we make. Get your regular dose of the Allusionist at theallusionist.org. | Listen |
| 111. Engraving part 2: Precious | |
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Words engraved into metal are intended to last, though you don?t know who in the future is going to be reading them - your grandchildren wearing your wedding ring, the stranger who found your long-lost multitool, yourself at a time of need. Steven Yardley of Milne & Yardley talks about the disappearing craft of hand engraving. Max Ullmann of the antique jewellery shop A.R. Ullmann Ltd shows the objects engraved in centuries past. Wearing their grandmothers? rings, Lisa Hack connects to family she doesn?t know, and Freddy McConnell *to the family he does. When *Eeva Sarlin?s ex-boyfriend lost her Leatherman multitool, she thought she?d never see it again - and were it not for an engraving, she wou | Listen |
| 110. Engraving part 1 | |
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When Dave Nadelberg of Mortified used to visit his mother?s grave, he would look around at the nearby gravestones and see similar - or even the exact same - epitaphs for lots of different people. And it made him curious: who were these people, really? What were their personalities, what happened in their lives? And didn?t they deserve something more meaningful, more personal, than these bland and repetitive epitaphs? So when Dave?s father died a few years later, Dave was determined to choose better words to represent him in perpetuity. Go to theallusionist.org/epitaph to read more about this episode and find a transcript. Dave Nadelberg is the founder of Mortified: find the podcast, live events, books, TV series and documentary at getmortified.com. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, Listen | |
| 109. East West | |
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On 9 November 1989, the demolition of the Berlin Wall began. Within a year, Germany was unified. East Germany dissolved and was incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany, took on its currency and its rules - and its lexicon. Both West and East Germany had already been speaking German, of course; but there were differences, from the years of very concerted separation, the attempts at isolating East Germany from what was considered Western culture and capitalism, and the specifically East German concepts that had their own vocabulary. What was that vocabulary, and where did it go? Go to theallusionist.org/eastwest to find out more about this episode and the people who appear on it. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com% | Listen |
| 108. Enjoy! | |
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In the last Food Season episode of the current batch, we get into the language of restaurant service - specifically those terms that give some of us fiery indigestion, like ?Enjoy!? or ?Are you still working on that?? Restaurant psychologist Stephani Robson and former server Sara Brooke Curtis explain how what servers say is affected by such things as restaurant furniture, tipping, the need to turn a table around quickly for the next diners, and customer moods and caprices. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/enjoy. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist live show No Title is on tour in North America - come to see us! For all event listings% | Listen |
| 107. Apples | |
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Late 2019 will see the biggest apple launch of our lifetimes. 22 years in the making, ripening on millions of trees into picture-perfect redness, here comes the WA38, more snazzily known as the Cosmic Crisp. The name was the result of a year of focus groups, taste tests and word associations - a far cry from when apples were named after whichever end of a cat they resembled. This episode is a collaboration with The Sporkful podcast, where we have released companion episodes about apples: hear us talking about the naming of apples on this episode of the Allusionist, and on their episode ?A New Apple Is Born? we get into the particulars of how new apples are begotten. Find The Sporkful on your podcatchers and at thesporkful.com. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/apples. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at Listen | |
| 106. Typo Demom | |
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Ever misspelled a word or committed a typo? It wasn?t your fault; you were demonically possessed. Ian Chillag from Everything is Alive podcast introduces us to Titivillus, the typo demon. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/typo-demon. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist live show No Title is heading off on a tour of North America from October. For all event listings, visit theallusionist.org/events. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest podcasts on the interwaves | Listen |
| 105. F'ood | |
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When is cheese not cheese, or crab not crab? When it?s spelled cheez or krab or even ch?eese or cra?b? Novelty spellings for foods-that-aren?t-made-out-of-the-thing-they-sound-like-they?re-made-out-of go back a pretty long way - ?cheez? was THE cheese-like substance of the 1920s - but right now, with plant-based foods on the rise, we?re seeing more of them. Branding consultant and name developer Nancy Friedman casts her expert glance over the apostrophes and deliberate misspellings on foodstuffs; and vegan restaurant owner Melanie Boudens recounts how, this summer, the words ?cheddar cheese? on her menu landed her in trouble. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/foood. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and in | Listen |
| 104. Words into Food | |
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It?s Food Season at the Allusionist. Last episode we learned all about compiling recipes, turning food into words. This time, we meet someone who turns words into food - no, she doesn?t make Alphabetti Spaghetti. When Kate Young of the Little Library Cafe spots a foodstuff or a feast in a novel, she finds ways to cook it in reality, whether it?s delicious (Babette?s Feast), evil (Edmund?s Turkish delight in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe) or poisonous (the crab and avocado in The Bell Jar). Find out more at theallusionist.org/words-into-food. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist live show is coming to London in September. For all | Listen |
| 103. Food Into Words | |
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When recipe writing is done well, the skill and effort involved might not be evident. But explaining the different steps clearly so that people of varying culinary abilities and equipment can cook it, and indeed want to make it, and translating flavour and physical actions and sensory experiences into words - all that takes work. Recipe writers MiMi Aye and Felicity Cloake and cookbook editor Rachel Greenhaus consider the verbal ingredients of a well-written recipe. Find out more at theallusionist.org/food-into-words. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist live show is coming to London in September. For all event listings, visit Listen | |
| 102. New Rules | |
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I don?t know exactly when or where, but at some point in the past few years, I stopped putting punctuation at the end of sentences. Why? The internet made me do it! Internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch, cohost of Lingthusiasm podcast and the author of the new book Because Internet, explains how the internet changes the rules of language. Find out more at theallusionist.org/new-rules. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest podcasts on the interwaves. And it?s our annual survey season! Could you do me a big ole favour and spend a few minutes filling in the Survlusionist at | Listen |
| 101. Two Or More | |
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Oysters, fragrances, canoeing, space stations, God, hats, and of course people - the word ?bisexual? has described a great deal of different things, with different meanings, in its fairly short existence. And that whole time, it has had a pretty bumpy ride. Mark Wilkinson studied 70 years of Times newspapers to trace how the British mainstream press used the term. Find out more at theallusionist.org/bisexual. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest podcasts on the interwaves. Find them all at | Listen |
| 56+12. Joins & Pride | |
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To celebrate Pride Month, I?m playing two of the Allusionist episodes that have stuck with me the most during the show?s existence. The first is Joins. You listeners talk about your particular experiences in your trans bodies, dealing with the available vocabulary for sex and the associated body parts. (Content note: the episode contains language pertaining to sex and the associated body parts.) Second is Pride: the story of how that word was chosen in 1970 for LGBTQ Pride events. Find out more at theallusionist.org/joins-pride-rerun. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia | Listen |
| 100. The Hundredth | |
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To mark the 100th* episode of the Allusionist, here?s a celebratory parade of language-related facts: some of your favourites from the Allusionist back catalogue, some of my favourites from the Allusionist back catalogue, and a load of fresh facts making their Allusionist debut. *short hundred, not long hundred. Thanks for listening to the Allusionist! If you?ve liked any of the 100 episodes, tell someone else about it. Content note: this episode contains swears. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/hundredth. The Allusionist live tour of the new show, No Title, has landed in Australia! Get your tickets for Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin from theallusionist.org/events. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at Listen | |
| 99. Polari | |
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When there were no safe spaces to be gay, Polari allowed gay men to identify and communicate with each other, and to keep things secret from outsiders. Professor Paul Baker, author of the Polari dictionary and the new book Fabulosa! The Story of Polari, Britain?s Secret Gay Language, explains how Polari emerged from criminal cant and London?s theatres and docks to be used a code language for gay men in the oppressive 1950s - and then, not long after, it entered the slang lexicons of the general public, via popular sketch comedy and the mouth of an annoyed princess. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/polari. The all new Allusionist live show, No Title, is touring in New Zealand and Australia. We?ve added extra shows in Christchurch and Melbourne, and will also be on in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. Leg it to theallusionist.org/events to get tickets. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at | Listen |
| 98. Alter Ego | |
Today: three pieces about alter egos, when your name - the words by which the world knows you - is replaced by another for particular purposes, such as competing in roller derby, writing popular but disreputable detective novels, or being legally anonymous, unidentified, or fake.NB There is one strong swear in this episode. Find out more about this episode and the people and facts in it at theallusionist.org/alter-ego. The all new Allusionist live show, No Title, is touring in New Zealand and Australia. We?ve added extra shows in Wellington and Christchurch; Melbourne already sold out; so rush to theallusionist.org/events to get tickets for Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, | Listen |
| 97. The Future is Now? | |
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?There are two ways to say ?The future is now?: you can say it optimistically, like, ?The future is now! Isn't that cool?? Or you could be like, ?The future is now, and we're totally screwed.?? Rose Eveleth, of the future-envisioning podcast Flash Forward, tracks the past and present of one of her favourite phrases. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/future. The all new Allusionist live show, No Title, is touring in New Zealand and Australia. Visit theallusionist.org/events for information about venues, dates and tickets for shows in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and a couple more TBA Australian cities. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at Listen | |
| 96. Trust | |
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?Trust isn't a brand that you should use. It's a social glue that, when it breaks down, has really huge consequences to our lives.? Trust expert and author Rachel Botsman explains why we need to protect this word that has remained steadfast throughout its existence, but may now be too popular for its own good. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/trust. The all new Allusionist live show, No Title, is heading to New Zealand! Tickets for Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch are on sale now; find out more at theallusionist.org/events. Australia: you?ll be our next stop. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and | Listen |
| 95. Verisimilitude | |
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When you?re watching a fantasy or science fiction show, and the characters are speaking a language that does not exist in this world but sounds like it could - that doesn?t happen by accident, or improvisation. A lot - a LOT! - of work goes into inventing new languages that sound real. Conlanger David Peterson talks about how he created languages for HBO?s Game of Thrones. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/verisimilitude. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow and facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest podcasts on the interwaves. Find them all at radiotopia.fm. In March 2019, the Allusionist is sponsored by: | |
| 94. Harsh Realm | |
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On 15 November 1992, the New York Times printed a ?Lexicon of Grunge?, a list of slang terms from the Seattle music scene. ?Harsh realm? = bummer. ?Wack slacks? = old ripped jeans. ?Swingin? on the flippity-flop? = hanging out. Not familiar with any of these? It?s OK, that?s not because you?re a cob nobbler (= loser). They were all made up. By Megan Jasper. Now the CEO of Sub Pop records, she recounts her linguistic prank. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/grungehoax. NB there are a few swears in this episode. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow and | Listen |
| 93. Gossip | |
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?Idle?, ?trivial?, ?scurrilous?: the word ?gossip? is often accompanied by uncomplimentary adjectives. But don?t dismiss it; from childbirth to Hollywood to political analysis to whisper networks, gossip may be more useful and serious than you realise. Lainey Lui, founder of laineygossip.com, and Buzzfeed News? senior culture writer (and doctor of celebrity gossip) Anne Helen Petersen explain why. Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/gossip. NB there are a few swears in this episode. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow and facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest podcasts on the interwaves. Find them all at radiotopia.fm. | Listen |
| 92. To Err Is Human | |
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If you wince when you hear someone say ?a whole nother level?, ?hone in on? or ?right from the gecko?, here?s some bad news: you might have to get used to it. The English language is full of words and expressions that were mistakes that stuck around. Countdown?s Susie Dent holds our hands and takes us on a tour of misspellings, mishearings, scrambled letters and bear cubs. In the new Minillusionist at the end of the episode, we?re back on your favourite subject: swearing! And why the blazes are there all these fake acronym etymologies for swears? Find out more about this episode at theallusionist.org/err. Follow Susie Dent on Twitter @susie_dent for regular doses of etymology, and to keep up with her writing and tour dates. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow and | Listen |
| Extra special QUIZ! | |
| For a bit of fun to celebrate Radiotopia?s 2018 fundraiser, this episode is a wordy quiz for you to play along with as you listen. Get a pen and paper, or fill in your answers online at http://theallusionist.org/2018quiz. Also! I?ve put together an Allusionist print-at-home puzzle book, featuring a wordsearch, crossword, some jollity with portmanteaus, ? Continue reading Extra special QUIZ! | Listen |
| 91. Bonus 2018 | |
| Throughout the year, the people who appear on the Allusionist tell me a lot of interesting stuff. Not all of which is relevant to the episode they initially appeared in, so I stash it away in preparation for this moment: the annual bonus episode! Get ready for gory 19th century London slang, the rise and ? Continue reading 91. Bonus 2018 | Listen |
| 90. Dear Santa | |
| Jim Glaub and Dylan Parker didn?t think too much of it when, every year, a few letters were delivered to their New York apartment addressed to Santa. But then one year, 400 letters arrived. And they decided they had to answer them. Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/dear-santa, and visit http://miracleon22ndstreet.com to learn ? Continue reading 90. Dear Santa | Listen |
| 89. WPM | |
| This is a story of feats of speed and endurance, of record-breakers, of champions? Typing champions. Recorded live at the Hot Docs Podcast Festival in the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto on 4 November 2018, WPM is performed by me and Martin Austwick. Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/wpm. **There is ? Continue reading 89. WPM | Listen |
| 88. Name Changers | |
| Why did you change your name? And why did you choose the name you chose? Listeners answer these two questions. Hear their stories of gender identity, family fallouts, marriages, divorces, doxxing, cults, and?just not liking your given name very much. Find more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/name-changers. This episode is part of Name Season here ? Continue reading 88. Name Changers | Listen |
| 87. Name v. Law | |
| Iceland has quite exacting laws about what its citizens can be named, and only around 4,000 names are on the officially approved list. If you want a name that deviates from that list, you have to send an application to the Icelandic Naming Committee, whose three members will decide whether or not you?re allowed it. ? Continue reading 87. Name v. Law | Listen |
| 86. Name Therapy | |
| ?It?s the word that you use the most often and the soonest to describe yourself, and yet nobody?s really ever talked about how it kind of makes me feel like this.? Until Duana Taha, who, after a lifetime of feelings about her own unique name, became the Name Therapist. Duana offers advice on how to ? Continue reading 86. Name Therapy | Listen |
| 85. Skin Story | |
| ?I wanted a story that actually lives, and actually dies, and disappears.? In 2003, artist and author Shelley Jackson started the Skin Project: a story printed, word by word, as tattoos on volunteers. https://ineradicablestain.com/skindex.html Find more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/skin-story. The Allusionist live tour comes to the US, Canada, and Ireland during autumn 2018: ? Continue reading 85. Skin Story | Listen |
| 84. Trammels | |
| Why would you write books or poems or plays with only one vowel? Or in palindromes? Or only using the example sentences in dictionaries? Sometimes you need to force yourself to jump a few hurdles (and perhaps the rest of the obstacle course) before your creativity will be unleashed. Find more about this episode at ? Continue reading 84. Trammels | Listen |
| 83. Yes, As In | |
| ?Really? As in the animal/foodstuff/music genre?? ?Is that a stripper name?? ?What were your parents thinking?? When your name is a word that is more usually a noun or adjective than a human moniker, you hear the same questions a lot. But there?s a story in every name, and yours is probably a more interesting story ? Continue reading 83. Yes, As In | Listen |
| 82. A Novel Remedy | |
| When you?re feeling unwell, what?s the book you read to make yourself feel better? And why does it work? Clinical psychologist Jane Gregory explains why she sometimes prescribes novel-reading to her patients; and academic Guy Cuthbertson tells how post-WW1 Britain was soothed by Agatha Christie. Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/convalescence. The Allusionist ? Continue reading 82. A Novel Remedy | Listen |
| 81. Shark Week | |
| Today, we?re dipping into the Allusionist mailbag full of listeners? linguistic requests, with the help of special guest Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder and The West Wing Weekly podcasts. What is the expression ?beyond the pale? on about? How do you express the absence of feeling? Does ?testify? have anything to do with testicles? Do avocados ? Continue reading 81. Shark Week | Listen |
| Imaginary Advice: S.E.I.N.F.E.L.D. | |
| Hello! I?m currently in hospital so am having to take a little time off work. Therefore, instead of a new Allusionist episode today, here?s my favourite audio piece I?ve heard this year: ?S.E.I.N.F.E.L.D.? from Ross Sutherland?s podcast Imaginary Advice. NB: the episode contains a couple of Strong Terms. Hear more Imaginary Advice episodes ? some of my favourites ? Continue reading Imaginary Advice: S.E.I.N.F.E.L.D. | Listen |
| 80. Warm Front | |
| Today will be fine. But wait: fine as in ?OK?, fine as in ?really rather good?, or fine as in ?no precipitation?? When you?re a TV weather forecaster, you have to deal with the mismatch of your specialist vocabulary with that of the meteorological laypeople watching ? as well as cover all the weather across ? Continue reading 80. Warm Front | Listen |
| 79. Queer | |
| Strange or obtuse; a stinging homophobic slur; a radical political rejection of normativity; a broad term encompassing every and any variation on sexual orientation and gender identity: the word ?queer? has a multifarious past and complicated present. Tracing its movements are Kathy Tu and Tobin Low from Nancy podcast, Eric Marcus from Making Gay History, historian and author Amy Sueyoshi, and Jonathan ? Continue reading 79. Queer | Listen |
| 78. Oot in the Open | |
| You are born and raised in a household speaking a language. Then you start going to school, and that language is banned. If you speak it, you?ll be punished physically or psychologically. Across your country, there are people like you who associate their first language with shame, or not even being a language at all. ? Continue reading 78. Oot in the Open | Listen |
| 42+43. Survival: The Key rerun | |
| To accompany the current Allusionist miniseries Survival, about minority languages facing suppression and extinction, we?re revisiting this double bill of The Key episodes about why languages die and how they can be resuscitated. The Rosetta Stone and its modern equivalent the Rosetta Disk preserve writing systems to be read by future generations. But how do ? Continue reading 42+43. Survival: The Key rerun | Listen |
| 77. Survival part 1: Second Home | |
| There are two main places in the world where the Welsh language is spoken: Wales, and the Chubut Province in Patagonia. How did this ancient language take root in rural Argentina, 12,000 miles away from its home base? Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/survival1. The Allusionist?s online home is http://theallusionist.org. Stay in touch ? Continue reading 77. Survival part 1: Second Home | Listen |
| 76. Across the Pond | |
| Pavement/sidewalk; football/soccer; bum bag/fanny pack: we know that the English language is different in the UK and the USA. But why? Linguist Lynne Murphy points out the geographical, cultural and social influences that separate the common language. Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/across-the-pond. The Allusionist?s online home is http://theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at ? Continue reading 76. Across the Pond | Listen |
| 75. Ear Hustling | |
| Today we?re going inside to open up the unofficial dictionary of San Quentin state prison, compiled by Earlonne Woods of Ear Hustle podcast. Content note: this episode contains some Adult Terms. Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/ear-hustling. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the best podcasts ? Continue reading 75. Ear Hustling | Listen |
| 74. Take A Swear Pill | |
| CONTENT WARNING: there is swearing in this episode. But the happy news is: swearing is good for you! Dr Emma Byrne, author of Swearing Is Good For You, explains how swearing can be beneficial to your physical health and emotional wellbeing, while Matt Fidler of Very Bad Words podcast gives some tips to ensure you ? Continue reading 74. Take A Swear Pill | Listen |
| 73. Supername! | |
| Up in the sky: look! It?s an adjective! It?s a noun! It?s?Adjectivenoun! Your friendly neighbourhood superheroes might have thrilling and varied powers and spandex garments, but the way their names are concocted have followed only a handful of formulae in the past 80 years, since Superman sent superheroes soaring. (Yes, alliteration is one such naming formula.) Glen Weldon ? Continue reading 73. Supername! | Listen |
| 72. Hey | |
| ?Hey.? ?Going to the supermarket, want me to get you anything?? ?Puppies or ice cream?? ?What?s your glasses prescription?? ?I wanna ***** your *********.? If you?ve used a dating app, maybe you?ve received one of the above messages from a stranger, or sent them. Striking up an interaction with someone is a tricky business. Why ? Continue reading 72. Hey | Listen |
| 71. Triumph/Trumpet/Top/Fart | |
| It?s a year since Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. And in that year, he?s caused a lot of changes in the job of constitutional law professor Elizabeth Joh of TrumpConLaw podcast ? in particular, one verb is now off limits. Plus: Paul Anthony Jones, aka etymologist extraordinaire Haggard ? Continue reading 71. Triumph/Trumpet/Top/Fart | Listen |
| 70. Bonus 2017 | |
| It?s the annual bonus episode. Throughout the year, the people who appear on the show tell me a lot of interesting stuff, not all of which is relevant to the episode they initially appeared in, so I stash it away in preparation for this moment. This year, hear about the history of roller skates, zazzification, ? Continue reading 70. Bonus 2017 | Listen |
| 69. How the Dickens stole Christmas | |
| Charles Dickens wrote about the plight of the impoverished and destitute members of British society. So how come his name is a synonym for rosy-cheeked, full-stomached, fattened-goose, hearty merry ?God bless us every one? Christmas? Avery Trufelman and Katie Mingle of 99% Invisible report from the streets of Victorian London at the annual Dickens Christmas Fair ? Continue reading 69. How the Dickens stole Christmas | Listen |
| 68. Curse Soup | |
| Somebody has really ticked you off. You?re all steamed up inside and you want to vent that rage using words, but you don?t want to confront them directly because you?re either too polite or too cowardly. So do you: A. Subtweet them. B. With your finger, scrawl an insulting message into the dirt on their ? Continue reading 68. Curse Soup | Listen |
| 67. Open Me part II | |
| You?re holding a letter. What?s inside? A weather report from 5,000 miles away? Some devastating family history? A single word? A heartfelt dispatch from your past self that?s about to change the course of your life? Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/open-me-2. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a ? Continue reading 67. Open Me part II | Listen |
| 66. Open Me part I | |
| From Me To You?s Alison Hitchcock and Brian Greenley didn?t know each other well. But when Brian was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Alison offered to write him letters. 100 letters later, their lives were changed. One of the newest members of Radiotopia is Ear Hustle, a podcast made inside San Quentin by and about ? Continue reading 66. Open Me part I | Listen |
| 65. Eponyms III: Who?s That Guy? | |
| Roman Mars returns for our annual dose of eponyms ? words that derive from people?s names. This year: explosive revelations about the origins of the word ?guy?. Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/guy. CONTENT NOTE: the episode contains a description of 17th century torture and execution. The show?s online home is http://theallusionist.org. Stay ? Continue reading 65. Eponyms III: Who?s That Guy? | Listen |
| 64. Technobabble | |
| You?ve encountered technobabble when Doc Brown is shouting about flux capacitors in Back To The Future, or when Isaac Asimov writes about positronic brains. Astrophysicist Katie Mack and NASA JPL technologist Manan Arya discuss how science fact relates to science fiction. This episode is a collaboration with Eric Molinsky of Imaginary Worlds; listen to his ? Continue reading 64. Technobabble | Listen |
| 63. Evolution of Accents | |
| ?Accent is identity. It?s a way of encoding and signaling ? almost completely at an unconscious level for most people ? who they feel like they are, who they want to be seen as, what group they feel like they belong to.? The podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz investigates how accents have evolved in the UK ? Continue reading 63. Evolution of Accents | Listen |
| 62. In Crypt, Decrypt | |
| Crossword-solving is often a solitary activity ? over breakfast; on the train; on the loo? But a few times a year, crossword puzzle enthusiasts gather in their hundreds to compete to be the fastest, most accurate crossword-solver. This episode comes to you from a church basement on the Upper East Side of New York City, ? Continue reading 62. In Crypt, Decrypt | Listen |
| 61. In Your Hand | |
| ?It?s sort of frozen body language; that?s what handwriting analysis is about.? Since it caught on a couple of hundred years ago, graphology ? analysing handwriting to deduce characteristics of the writer ? has struggled to be taken seriously as a practice. But undoubtedly, there are things about ourselves that we can?t help but reveal ? Continue reading 61. In Your Hand | Listen |
| 60. Zillions | |
| They look like numbers. They sound like numbers. You kinda know they are numbers. But they?re not actually numbers. Linguistic anthropologist Stephen Chrisomalis explains what?s going on with indefinite hyperbolic numerals like ?zillion?, ?squillion? and ?kajillion?. For more about this episode, visit http://theallusionist.org/zillions. Come to see the live show at the London Podcast Festival in ? Continue reading 60. Zillions | Listen |
| 59. One To Another | |
| Translation, A Love Story: Translator listens to The Allusionist. Translator hears about the podcast The Memory Palace. Translator listens to The Memory Palace. Translator immediately becomes smitten with The Memory Palace. Translator translates The Memory Palace from English to Brazilian Portuguese, and turns it into a book ? O Palácio da Memória ? which will ? Continue reading 59. One To Another | Listen |
| 58. Eclipse | |
| It?s August 2007. Lauren Marks is a 27-year-old actor and a PhD student, spending the month directing a play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She?s in a bar, standing onstage, performing a karaoke duet of ?Total Eclipse of the Heart??and then a blood vessel in her brain bursts. When she wakes up in hospital, days ? Continue reading 58. Eclipse | Listen |
| 57. AD/BC | |
| There?s a small matter I trip over regularly in the Allusionist: Dates. Not the fruit. Specicially, the terms BC and AD, Before Christ and Anno Domini (?the year of the Lord? (?the Lord? also being Christ)). How did Jesus Christ get to be all up in our system of counting the years? There?s more about ? Continue reading 57. AD/BC | Listen |
| 56. Joins | |
| As discussed in episode 51, Under the Covers part II, the vocabulary for sex and associated body parts is tricky to navigate in many ways ? but even more so if you are trans or gender non-binary. CONTENT NOTE: this episode contains strong language and frank discussions of sex and bodies. There?s more about the ? Continue reading 56. Joins | Listen |
| 55. Namaste | |
| ?You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.? Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder wants people to stop saying ?namaste? after a yoga session. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/namaste. Stay in touch at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia.fm for PRX.org. ? Continue reading 55. Namaste | Listen |
| 54. The Authority | |
| ?Sometimes you want to make the dictionary sexy but it?s just not a sexy thing,? says Kory Stamper, lexicographer for the Merriam-Webster dictionaries. Sorry if this is disillusioning news for you. The dictionary is not a sexy thing, but as Kory explains, it is a fascinating, complicated, exacting thing. There?s more about this episode at ? Continue reading 54. The Authority | Listen |
| 53. The Away Team | |
| ?Recognizing someone?s humanity is crucial. Calling someone a migrant, calling someone an asylum seeker, calling them a refugee: these are official categories. But in many ways, depending on how they use them, they can change and become more negative.? So says propaganda and migration specialist Emma Briant, as she explains the dangers of conflating and ? Continue reading 53. The Away Team | Listen |
| 14 rerun: Behave | |
| Sometimes words can become your worst enemy. Clinical psychologist Jane Gregory tells how to defuse their power. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/behave-rerun. The main part of this episode is a rerun, but there?s new material as well ? get ready for a thrill-ride into medieval accounting technology. Stay in touch at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and ? Continue reading 14 rerun: Behave | Listen |
| 52. Sanctuary | |
| The term ?sanctuary cities? has been in the news a lot in the past few weeks, as places in the USA declare themselves to be havens for undocumented immigrants. Though ?sanctuary? has a history of meaning safety for the persecuted, it has an even longer history of meaning something quite different: refuge for criminals. Rosalind ? Continue reading 52. Sanctuary | Listen |
| 51. Under the Covers ? part II | |
| Does the available vocabulary for sex leave something to be desired? Namely desire? (And also the ability to use it wthout laughing/dying of embarrassment?) Aiding in the search for a better sex lexicon ? sexicon ? are Kaitlin Prest of fellow Radiotopia podcast The Heart, and romance novelist Mhairi McFarlane. CONTENT NOTE: this episode contains ? Continue reading 51. Under the Covers ? part II | Listen |
| 50. Under the Covers ? part I | |
| Escape into the loving embrace of a romance novel ? although don?t think you?ll be able to escape gender politics while you?re in there. Bea and Leah Koch, proprietors of America?s sole romance-only bookstore The Ripped Bodice, consider the genre; and publisher Lisa Milton scrolls through the 109-year history of the imprint that epitomises romance ? Continue reading 50. Under the Covers ? part I | Listen |
| 49. Bonus 2016 | |
| Why is gaslighting ?gaslighting?? What do bodily fluids have to do with personality traits? Why does ?cataract? mean a waterfall and an eye condition? And do doctors really say ?Stat!? or is that just in ER? To round off 2016, here?s the bonus edition of The Allusionist, featuring listeners? etymology requests and extra material from ? Continue reading 49. Bonus 2016 | Listen |
| 48. Winterval | |
| There?s a word that has become shorthand for ?the war on Christmas? with a side of ?political correctness gone mad?: Winterval. It began in November 1998. Newspapers furiously accused Birmingham City Council of renaming Christmas when it ran festive events under the name ?Winterval?. The council?s then-head of events Mike Chubb explains the true meaning ? Continue reading 48. Winterval | Listen |
| 47. The Year Without a Summer | |
| Today: a tale of darkness, gathering storms, and a terrifying creature that resembles a human man? No, nothing topical: it?s The Year Without A Summer, the story of how Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. This piece first appeared on Eric Molinsky?s excellent podcast Imaginary Worlds. Hear all the episodes at http://imaginaryworldspodcast.org. For more information, visit http://theallusionist.org/frankenstein. ? Continue reading 47. The Year Without a Summer | Listen |
| 46. The State Of It | |
| Each of the 50 states in the USA has its own motto. The motto might be found on the state seal, or the state flag; more often than not, it might be in Latin, or Spanish, or Chinook; it might be a phrase or a single word. And if you think you know what yours ? Continue reading 46. The State Of It | Listen |
| 45. Eponyms II: Name That Disease | |
| If you love eponyms like Roman Mars loves eponyms, I?m afraid physician Isaac Siemens is here to deliver some bad news: medics are ditching them, in favour of terms that a) contain information about what the ailment actually is, and/or b) don?t honour Nazi war criminals. Eponyms are controversial things. The Allusionist is a proud ? Continue reading 45. Eponyms II: Name That Disease | Listen |
| 44: This Is Your Brain On Language | |
| What is your beautiful brain up to as you comprehend language? Cognitive psychologist Jenni Rodd takes a peek. Visit http://theallusionist.org/brain for more information about this topic. Find me at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia.fm from PRX.org. | Listen |
| 43. The Key part II: Vestiges | |
| If you don?t have a Rosetta Stone to hand, deciphering extinct languages can be a real puzzle, even though they didn?t intend to be. They didn?t intend to become extinct, either, but such is the life (and death) of languages. NB: there is a CATEGORY B swear word towards the end of this episode. But ? Continue reading 43. The Key part II: Vestiges | Listen |
| 42. The Key part I: Rosetta | |
| Languages die. But if they?re lucky, a thousand-odd years later, someone unearths an artefact that brings them back to life. Laura Welcher of the Rosetta Project shows us the Rosetta Disk, a slice of electroplated nickel three inches in diameter that bears text in 1500 languages for future linguists to decipher. Ilona Regulski of the ? Continue reading 42. The Key part I: Rosetta | Listen |
| 41. Getting Toasty | |
| When you choose to spend the winter in Antarctica, you?ll be prepared for it to be cold. You know that nobody will be leaving or arriving until springtime. And you?re braced for months of darkness. But a few weeks after the last sunset, you might find you can?t even string a sentence together. And even ? Continue reading 41. Getting Toasty | Listen |
| 40. Olympics | |
| On your marks? Get set? GO! It?s the Etymolympics, where the gymnastics should be gymnaked and the hurdles are a bloodbath. Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/olympics. Be an Olympic-level champ and express your opinions about the show at http://surveynerds.com/allusionist. Seek me out online at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow, and on stage at the ? Continue reading 40. Olympics | Listen |
| 39. Generation What? | |
| Which are you: Millennial, Generation X, Baby Boomer, Silent Generation, an impressively young-looking Arthurian Generation? Or are you an individual who refuses to be labelled? Demographer Neil Howe, author Miranda Sawyer and Megan Tan, the host of Millennial podcast, consider whether the generational names are useful or reductive. Or both. Read more about this episode ? Continue reading 39. Generation What? | Listen |
| 38. Small Talk | |
| ?How are you?? ?Oh, fine ? and you?? ?Yeah, not bad. Nice day today, isn?t it?? ?Yes, it was a bit chilly this morning, but now the sun?s come out?? [Continue until the lift arrives, or until the end of time.] Small talk is usually not conveying much vital information, nor is it especially interesting. ? Continue reading 38. Small Talk | Listen |
| 12 rerun: Pride | |
| This week seems like a good one to listen again to last year?s episode Pride, about how the word came to be chosen for LGBTQ Pride. Activist and publisher Craig Schoonmaker tells the story. There are full show notes and links to additional material at http://theallusionist.org/pride-rerun. Find me at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is ? Continue reading 12 rerun: Pride | Listen |
| 37. Brand It | |
| Got a company or a product or a website you need to name? Well, be wary of the potential pitfalls: trademark disputes; pronounceability; being mistaken for a dead body? Name developer Nancy Friedman explains how she helps companies find the right names, and why so many currently end in ?-ify?. Plus: The Allusionist?s origin story, ? Continue reading 37. Brand It | Listen |
| 36. Big Lit | |
| ?Classics? started off meaning Latin and Greek works, then works that smacked of similar, and now ? what, exactly? Books that are full of bonnets and dust? Author Kevin Smokler and bookseller Jonathan Main unpick what constitutes a classic, old or new. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/biglit. Announce your favourite classics at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow ? Continue reading 36. Big Lit | Listen |
| 35. Word of the Day | |
| Open up a dictionary, and you?ll find the history of human behaviour, the key to your own psychological state, and a lot of fun words about cats. Dictionary.com?s Renae Hurlbutt and Jane Solomon lead the way. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/word-of-the-day. Visit me at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member ? Continue reading 35. Word of the Day | Listen |
| 34. Continental | |
| ?Continent?, as in a land mass, is much more complicated semantically than the bodily function control sense of ?continent?. Plus: more ?please?, and how ?thank you? is not necessarily an expression of gratitude. TL;DR: trust nothing. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/continental. Visit me at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member ? Continue reading 34. Continental | Listen |
| 33. Please | |
| There?s an ocean between Britain and the USA, but an even wider division between each country?s use of a particular word: ?please?. Linguists Lynne Murphy and Rachele De Felice explain how one nation?s obsequiousness is another nation?s obnoxiousness. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/please. Please greet me at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is ? Continue reading 33. Please | Listen |
| 32. Soho | |
| Around the world, there are several places called Soho, getting their names from an acronym/portmanteau-ish composite of local streets or neighbouring areas. But not the original Soho in London. In fact, London?s place names are an etymological hotchpotch: landmarks present and long gone; 1000-year-old vanity projects; and Cockfosters. This is a companion piece to the ? Continue reading 32. Soho | Listen |
| 31. Post-Love | |
| Breaking up is hard to do, and it?s hard to put into appropriate words. Comedian Rosie Wilby seeks a better term for ?ex?, and family law barrister Nick Allen runs through the vocabulary of divorce. NOTE: this episode is not full of bawdy talk, but there are adult themes and a couple of category B ? Continue reading 31. Post-Love | Listen |
| 30. US Election Lexicon | |
| The 2016 US election isn?t going away anytime soon, so let?s seek refuge in etymology. Consider the linguistically appropriate age of a senator, and whether Congress should get sexy. And we revisit the UK Election Lexicon ? http://theallusionist.com/electionlexicon ? for the origin of words like ?campaign?, ?ballot?, ?democracy?, ?poll?, ?debate? and ?argue?. There?s more about ? Continue reading 30. US Election Lexicon | Listen |
| 29. WLTM part II | |
| You?re looking for your perfect partner, but dating sites keep matching you with duds. So what do you do? Conduct an elaborate linguistic experiment, of course! At least, that was futurist Amy Webb?s response to the situation. But did it work? For full show notes and links, visit http://theallusionist.org/wltm-ii. Hear WLTM part I at http://theallusionist.org/wltm-i. ? Continue reading 29. WLTM part II | Listen |
| 28. WLTM part I | |
| Your online dating profile is the latest spin on a 300-year-old tradition of advertising yourself in order to find a spouse, a sexual partner, or someone to take care of your pigs. Francesca Beauman, author of Shapely Ankle Preferr?d: A History of the Lonely Hearts Ad, digs into lonely hearts ads to see how British ? Continue reading 28. WLTM part I | Listen |
| 27. Bonus 2015 | |
| For the last episode of 2015, here?s a melange of etymologies requested by listeners, and anecdotes there wasn?t room for in the show earlier this year. We?ve got Klingon! Acid trips! The plural of ?octopus?! An unwitting cameo from Cliff Richard! Warning: this episode contains references to drugs, sex and genitals, plus some mild swears ? Continue reading 27. Bonus 2015 | Listen |
| 26. Xmas Man | |
| CONTENT WARNING: Be wary of listening to this episode around young children, as there may be life spoilers. Historian Greg Jenner traces the origins of that mythical beardy man who turns up in December with gifts. Helen Zaltzman also ensures her permanent removal from everybody?s Christmas card lists. Read more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/christmas ? Continue reading 26. Xmas Man | Listen |
| 25. Toki Pona | |
| There?s a language which is said to be the smallest language in the world. It has around 123 words, five vowels, nine consonants, and apparently you can become fluent in it with around 30 hours? study. It was invented by linguist Sonja Lang in 2001, and it?s called Toki Pona. And fellow Radiotopian Nate DiMeo, ? Continue reading 25. Toki Pona | Listen |
| 24. Spill Your Guts | |
| It?s cathartic; it?s a useful historical record; and it might help you behave better on public transport. Neil Katcher and Dave Nadelberg from Mortified discuss the art and practice of keeping a diary. Find the Mortified podcast, stage shows, documentary, TV series and books at http://getmortified.com. Roman Mars also stops by to talk about the ? Continue reading 24. Spill Your Guts | Listen |
| 23. Criminallusionist | |
| Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer from the podcast Criminal stop by to talk about the linguistic challenges of crime reporting. They also share their episode ?Pants on Fire?, about lying. It?s an extremely useful handbook if you fancy becoming either a human polygraph, or an excellent liar. Radiotopia needs your support. Become a donor at ? Continue reading 23. Criminallusionist | Listen |
| 22. Vocables | |
| La la la, dum di di dum, a wop bop a loo bop a wop bom bom ? why are songs riddled with non-words masquerading as words? Hrishikesh Hirway from Song Exploder and songwriter Tony Hazzard explain. Read more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/vocables. Say hello at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow, and find Song Exploder at ? Continue reading 22. Vocables | Listen |
| 21. Eponyms I: The Ballad of Bic and Biro | |
| Naming something after yourself: a grand display of egomania, or the humble willingness to be overshadowed by your own product? Stationery expert James Ward tells the tale of the people who begat the eponymous ballpoint pens Bic and Biro, because, according to 99% Invisible?s Roman Mars, ?When it comes to word origins, an eponym is ? Continue reading 21. Eponyms I: The Ballad of Bic and Biro | Listen |
| 20. Baby Talk | |
| Why do we all sound like idiots when we talk to babies? Don?t be embarrassed, we?re helping them acquire language. Child psychologist Ben Jeffes explains. There is more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/baby-talk. Say hello at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of http://Radiotopia.fm for http://PRX.org. | Listen |
| 19. Architecting About Dance | |
| ?Talking about music is like dancing about architecture? is a problematic statement: not just because nobody can agree on who came up with it, but because dancing about architecture doesn?t seem particularly far-fetched. Talking about dance, however ? that?s really difficult. How do you put a wordless form of communication into words? Audio describer Alice ? Continue reading 19. Architecting About Dance | Listen |
| 18. Fix part II | |
| The messiness of English is the price of its success. It is the most widely spoken language in the world, geographically, being an official language in 88 different countries, and there are countless different versions of it all over the world. With so many speakers in so many places, it would be impossible to establish ? Continue reading 18. Fix part II | Listen |
| 17. Fix part I | |
| The English language is a mess. And if you don?t like it, what are you going to do about it ? fix it? Good luck with that. In the early 18th century, a movement of grammarians and authors wanted to set up an official authority to regulate English, like French had in the Academie Francaise. ? Continue reading 17. Fix part I | Listen |
| 16. Word Play | |
| Words are all over the place. So how do you turn them into fun games? Here to show the way is Leslie Scott, founder of Oxford Games and inventor of more than forty games ? including word games such as Ex Libris, Anagram and Flummoxed, and the non-word game Jenga. There is more about this ? Continue reading 16. Word Play | Listen |
| 15. Step Away | |
| ?Step-?, as in stepparents or stepchildren, originated in grief. Family structures have evolved, but are stepmothers now so tainted by fairytale associations with the word ?wicked? that we need new terminology? Lore?s Aaron Mahnke stops by to describe the lovelessness, literary tropes and life expectancy around ?step-?. There is more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/step. ? Continue reading 15. Step Away | Listen |
| 14. Behave | |
| Sometimes words can become your worst enemy. Clinical psychologist Jane Gregory tells how to defuse their power. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/behave. This episode concerns mental health, and the discussion nudges some topics which may not be comfortable for everybody. Stay in touch! Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a ? Continue reading 14. Behave | Listen |
| 13. Mixed Emojions | |
| Emoji allow communication without words. Could emoji be the universal language of the 21st century? Matt Gray and Tom Scott, founders of the emoji-only messaging platform emoj.li, talk through the pitfalls; and History Today?s Dr Kate Wiles finds the 500- and 5,000-year-old precedents for emoji. CONTENT WARNING: this episode contains one category B swear word, ? Continue reading 13. Mixed Emojions | Listen |
| 12. Pride | |
| ?The poison is shame. The antidote is pride.? It?s June; the President of the USA has officially designated it LGBT Pride Month, and there?ll be Pride events around the world. But how did the word ?pride? came to be the banner word for demonstrations and celebrations of LGBT rights and culture? There?s more about this ? Continue reading 12. Pride | Listen |
| 11. Brunchtime | |
| What does brunch have to do with Lewis Carroll? Fall down the rabbit hole of brunch semantics with Dan Pashman of the Sporkful podcast http://sporkful.com. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/brunch. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia.fm for PRX.org. | Listen |
| 10. Election Lexicon | |
| On the eve of the 2015 General Election in the UK, take a jaunt through the etymology of election-related words. Find out why casting a vote should be more like basketball, and why polling is hairy. There?s more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/electionlexicon. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. Also please air your thoughts about ? Continue reading 10. Election Lexicon | Listen |
| 9. The Space Between | |
| I know this is a show about words, but forget the words for a moment; look at the spaces between the words. Without the spaces, the words would be nigh incomprehensible. Dr Kate Wiles explains the history of the space. Visit theallusionist.org/spaces to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. ? Continue reading 9. The Space Between | Listen |
| 8. Crosswords | |
| Cryptic crosswords: delightful brain exercise, or the infernal taunting of the incomprehensible? Either way, crossword setter John Feetenby explains how they?re made and how to solve them. Visit theallusionist.org/crosswords to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. Also please give us your thoughts about podcasts at surveynerds.com/allusionist. The Allusionist is ? Continue reading 8. Crosswords | Listen |
| 7. Mountweazel | |
| You?d think you could trust dictionaries, but it turns out, they are riddled with LIES. Visit theallusionist.org/mountweazel to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. Also please give us your thoughts about podcasts at surveynerds.com/allusionist The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia.fm for PRX.org. | Listen |
| 6. The Writing On The Wall | |
| Those words on museum walls that you can?t be bothered to read? They?re more important than you think? Exhibition-maker Rachel Souhami explains why. Visit theallusionist.org/museums to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia.fm for PRX.org. | Listen |
| 5. Latin Lives! | |
| Every week since September 1989, a radio station in Finland has broadcast a weekly news bulletin?in Latin. WHY? Let?s find out! Visit theallusionist.org/latin to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia.fm for PRX.org. | Listen |
| 4. Detonating the C-Bomb | |
| WARNING: this episode contains lots of swearing and words which some of you may find offensive. If, however, you love offensive words, you will enjoy this episode, which is all about how the C-word doesn?t deserve to be the pariah of cusses. Visit http://theallusionist.org/viral to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene ? Continue reading 4. Detonating the C-Bomb | Listen |
| 3. Going Viral | |
| Remember when ?viral? used to only mean something bad, IE something that would make you ill or destroy your computer? How things have changed. Tom Phillips from Buzzfeed UK explains the language they choose to make content go viral. Visit http://theallusionist.org/viral to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow. The ? Continue reading 3. Going Viral | Listen |
| 2. Bosom Holder | |
| There are many synonyms for ?underwear?. There are many synonyms for the body parts you keep in your underwear. But there?s only one word for ?bra?. Visit http://theallusionist.org/bras to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. Subscribe on iTunes at http://tinyurl.com/itunesAllusionist. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia.fm for ? Continue reading 2. Bosom Holder | Listen |
| 1. Ban The Pun. | |
| In late 2014, China announced it was to ban puns. Helen Zaltzman wishes she could ban puns in her own family. Warning: this episode features some hideous incidences of wordplay. Visit http://theallusionist.org/puns to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at http://facebook.com/allusionistshow. Subscribe on iTunes http://tinyurl.com/iTunesAllusionist. Subscribe on iTunes at http://tinyurl.com/itunesAllusionist. The ? Continue reading 1. Ban The Pun. | Listen |
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