On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… Kim, there’s people that are dying.  We can probably all agree that reality shows aren’t exactly peak TV. But there’s a time, a place, and an audience for pretty much everything. In a world where Love Is Blind’s chart-topping run is frequently described as brilliant and awful in the same breath, it’s easy to dismiss this stuff as a product of the social media era. But that’s not quite accurate. Culture critic and podcast host Kristen Meinzer joins us to talk all things trashy. She maintains that not everything we watch needs to be brain food… and that, in fact, the entertainment we hate to love and love to hate might be good for society after all.  Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore the lives of people who are in love with their AI chatbots. Replika is a chatbot designed to adapt to the emotional needs of its users. It is a good enough surrogate for human interaction that many people have decided that it can fulfill their romantic needs. The question is whether these kinds of romantic attachments are real, illusory, or good for the people involved. Apps like Replika represent the future of love and sex for a subpopulation of people, so we discuss the ethics of the practice.  Host Barry Lam talks to philosophers Ellie Anderson and David Pena-Guzman of the Overthink podcast about what theories of love would say about these kinds of relationships. AI lovers include Alex Stokes and Rosanna Ramos. Original scoring by Aaron Morgan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… a tail as old as time.  As part of Slate’s weeklong pet advice column, Faux Paws, Hear Me Out is tackling a debate that gets animal lovers on all sides heated up: should cats be allowed to roam outside?  Stacy LeBaron, longtime cat advocate and host of the Community Cats Podcast, argues yes… under the right circumstances, that is. It turns out, humans have an important role to play in helping our four-legged friends be healthy, happy, and helpful — whether they’re part of our outdoor environment or not.  Need pet advice? Submit questions for Slate’s expert Faux Paws columnists here. Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A zoopolis is a future society that philosophers envision where wild, domesticated, and denizen animals have full political and legal rights. What would that look like? In this episode, we look at how animals were put on trial in medieval European courts, and how animal rights advocates and bringing animals back into the courtrooms to sue people and the US government. We then look at what the science of animal minds tells us about how much agency animals have, and envision what political and legal rights various animals would have in a zoopolis. From there, we discuss and debate whether we should be allowed to farm animals, control their reproduction, and have them work for us.  Co-produced with Alec Opperman, guests include historian Gabriel Rosenberg, attorney Monica Miller, and animal minds researcher Professor Kristin Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… a former president got indicted, and all we got was this stupid t-shirt. Writer and former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori joins Celeste to make the case that, while historic, this indictment is not a victory for anyone; it’s far from a legal slam dunk, it’s a symptom of a sluggish Justice Department, and it might actually worsen this nation’s political divide (which, in case you haven’t noticed, is already pretty bad).  Read the pieces Ankush mentions here and here.   Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the right to life and socialized healthcare walk into a delivery room. Writer and journalist Liz Bruenig joins Celeste to discuss her vision for a United States where childbirth costs nothing. In a nation with skyrocketing healthcare costs, attacks on reproductive rights, and potential rollbacks on preventive care, we tell birthing people that not only do they have to give birth — they have to court financial ruin in order to do it.  Liz says it doesn’t have to be this way… and yes, we can pay for it. Moreover, it might be the rare issue where both sides of the aisle can find some common ground.  Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the case for breaking up the union. Frank Buckley, professor at George Mason University and author of American Secession, makes a case for allowing states to peacefully secede — not just in the interest of preventing another civil war, but in hopes of creating a happier, more functional society for us all.  Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… host Celeste Headlee introduces Slate’s newest podcast with a question: what if we could argue with each other without hating the results?  Hugh Breakey, writer and moral philosopher, thinks it’s possible. He and Celeste discuss the case for arguing with each other on difficult topics, and giving up the idea that every argument needs a winner. It’s not just a good idea, according to Breakey — it’s a moral imperative. Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate’s political and discussion podcast, Hear Me Out, launches March 21. Join host Celeste Headlee and a guest each week for a smart, fair debate on issues that matter.  In a nation where many of us have forgotten how to talk to each other, veteran journalist Celeste Headlee has devoted years to reinvigorating the art of civil conversation and debate. Each week on Hear Me Out, she'll invite a thoughtful guest to discuss their controversial perspective on a current issue, and engage in a tough, good-faith dialogue about the merits and drawbacks of their argument. The objective is to challenge conventional wisdom, and serve the intellectually curious new ideas and perspectives without partisan cliches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben take a trip down memory lane and put their knowledge of past guests to the test. They also interview the founder and CEO of Planet Word, Ann Friedman. And finally, we’re taking our final virtual trip, this time to Northern Ireland, for some cinematic wordplay. Thanks for listening and playing along with us!  Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Planet Word  Information on Planet Word’s new wordplay adventure, Lexicon Lane  Ann Friedman, “From the Founder: Disputes on the Language Front”  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben talk about the difference between a dialect and a language as they revisit a prior conversation about Ukraine. They also interview Will Shortz, crossword puzzle editor at the New York Times, about how he got into the world of puzzles. And finally, our hosts are in the hot seat for a wordplay quiz set by the puzzle master himself. You don’t want to miss this! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Cambridge Language Surveys, “The Slavic Languages” (including Russian, Ukrainian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian)  Phillip M. Carter, “Long before shots were fired, a linguistic power struggle was playing out in Ukraine” Information on the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (April 1-3)  Register here for the ACPT’s non-competitive virtual event   Ben’s article on how Stephen Sondheim popularized cryptic crosswords in the U.S.  Ben, Nicole, and Will compete in Webster’s War of the Words, a fundraiser for the Noah Webster House Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben talk about the new Siri voices. They also interview Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne, hosts of Lingthusiasm, a podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics. And finally, they put a listener’s anagram skills to the test. You don’t want to miss this! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and June Thomas.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Consumer Reports, “Hey Siri, Is That You? Apple’s New Voices Resonate With Some Black iPhone Users”  Spectacular Vernacular interview with VocalID founder Rupal Patel on “choosing your voice”  Axios, “Apple gives Siri a less gendered voice” Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne’s podcast, Lingthusiasm  Lingthusiasm on Patreon  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben talk about the connection between football chants and language. They also interview Everdeen Mason, editorial director for games at the New York Times about her exciting role. And finally, our hosts are in the hot seat for this week’s wordplay. You don’t want to miss this! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ben’s Wall Street Journal column, “’Who Dey?’: A Chant With Roots in Black History”  New York Times profile of Everdeen Mason  How to apply to the New York Times Diverse Crossword Constructor Fellowship  Washington Post article on “the latest reckoning over language in the puzzle world”  New York Times article on the acquisition of Wordle  Peter Gordon’s Fireball Crosswords  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben talk about how the capital of Ukraine has become a linguistic hot take. They also interview Jessi Grieser, a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville about her new book, The Black Side of the River: Race, Language, and Belonging in Washington D.C. And finally, we bring on a listener for some wordplay. We hope you’re good at figuring out analogies. You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: New York Times: “How Do You Say Kyiv? It Can Be Hard for English Speakers”  NPR “Kyiv or Kiev? Why people disagree about how to pronounce the Ukrainian capital’s name”  Jessi Grieser: The Black Side of the River: Race, Language, and Belonging in Washington, D.C.  “Bad Analogies” on Twitter Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben interview Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle, the creator of the viral online word game Wordle. They also recap their participation in the American Dialect Society’s annual Word of the Year vote, over which Ben presided. And Nicole’s shares some on-the-ground interviews from the Linguistic Society of America conference, at which she presented some of her own research. And finally, we bring on a listener for some wordplay. Can you solve our final wordplay clue? You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Kevin Bendis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben pay tribute to the late pioneer in linguistics and cognitive science, Lila Gleitman. They also interview Peter Sokolowski of Merriam-Webster and Fiona McPherson of the Oxford English Dictionary about the keywords of 2021. And finally, we bring on a listener for some wordplay. We hope you’re familiar with the diversity of English dialects. You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Lila Gleitman’s obituary in the New York Times  Lila Gleitman’s interview at the 2017 Association for Psychological Science conference  Oxford Languages Word of the Year  Merriam-Webster Word of the Year  American Dialect Society Word of the Year  American Dialect Society’s 2021 Word of the Year livestream — register to join the virtual voting session! Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben discuss Creole languages. They also interview Rupal Patel, professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Computer Science at Northeastern University and the founder of VocaliD. And finally, Josh Levin and Joel Anderson, co-hosts of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen join us for some wordplay. We hope you’re good at playing the basketball game of Horse. You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: BBC Pidgin  ThoughtCo., “What You Should Know About Creole Language”  Jamaican Creole at York College, “An Introduction to Jamaican Creole (also called Patwa or Patois)” Omniglot, “Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen)”  Rupal Patel’s 2013 TED Talk, “Synthetic Voices, as Unique as Fingerprints”  VocaliD, the company founded by Rupal Patel  VocaliD’s Parrot Studio “One Year: 1995,” hosted by Josh Levin  “Slow Burn: The L.A. Riots,” hoted by Joel Anderson  “Hang Up and Listen,” hosted by Josh Levin, Joel Anderson, and Stefan Fatsis  Josh’s Slate piece on the history of the “air ball” chant  Joel Anderson’s special episode of “Hang Up and Listen” on Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben discuss the pronunciation of the name of the latest COVID variant. They also interview Alex Bellos, puzzle columnist for The Guardian and author of The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book. And finally, Amanda Ripley, host of Slate’s podcast How To! joins us for some wordplay. We hope you’re ready to take your investigation skills to the next level. You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ben’s Wall Street Journal column on “Omicron” as the name of the new Covid variant Ben’s 2020 Atlantic piece on how geographic labels for diseases can encourage xenophobia  Ben’s Slate piece on the puzzling legacy of Stephen Sondheim New US edition of The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book by Alex Bellos  Amanda Ripley’s podcast, “How To!”  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben discuss Ben’s case against an accusation of anachronistic language use in the new version of her song “All Too Well.” They also interview Michael Adams, Provost Professor and Chair of the English Department at Indiana University about the late Madeline Kripke. And finally, Stefan Fatsis, co-host of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen joins us for some wordplay. We hope you’re up-to-date on your sports and dictionary knowledge. You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Could Taylor Swift Have Written “F— the Patriarchy” a Decade Ago? By Ben Zimmer for Slate Lyric video for Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” Gawker, “Taylor Swift is Lying About ’All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)’” Narratively, “The Dame of Dictionaries” New York Times obituary of Madeline Kripke Announcement of Indiana University’s acquisition of the Kripke Collection “Hang Up and Listen,” co-hosted by Stefan Fatsis Stefan’s 2014 piece, “These Sports Terms Should Be Playable in Scrabble” Episode of “Hang Up and Listen” where Stefan discusses defining “posterize” Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, hosts Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer recap the recent New Ways of Analyzing Variation conference for sociolinguistics. They also interview Deborah Tannen, a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University and best-selling author about conversational style. And finally, Barry Lam, host of Slate’s philosophy podcast Hi-Phi Nation stops by for some wordplay. We hope you paid attention in your philosophy classes for this next quiz! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: NWAV 49 (the 49th annual meeting of New Ways of Analyzing Variation)  Tweet by Cindy Noir (@Ebonie_QT) that inspired people to record Memojis code-switching between “home voices” and “work voices”  Ben’s 2011 New York Times essay, “Twitterology: A New Science?”  Twitter’s new Academic Research track  Deborah Tannen’s recent New York Times essay on cooperative overlapping, “In Real Life, Not All Interruptions Are Rude”  Sari Rachel discussing cooperative overlapping on TikTok  Deborah Tannen’s 2005 book, Conversational Style  Barry Lam’s philosophy podcast, Hi-Phi Nation  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, hosts Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer talk about Anthony Fauci’s old-school Brooklyn accent. They also interview Sylvia Sierra about her new book Millennials Talking Media: Creating Intertextual Identities in Everyday Conversation. And finally, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher, the hosts of ICYMI, Slate’s podcast on internet culture, stop by for some world wide web wordplay. We hope you’re ready! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Anthony Fauci on ABC’s This Week Trailer for the National Geographic documentary Fauci Nautilus, “Why Working-Class New Yorkers Drop Their ‘Rs’ ”  Sylvia Sierra’s new book Millennials Talking Media: Creating Intertextual Identities in Everyday Conversation  The ICYMI back catalog Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, hosts Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer chat about Netflix’s latest hit, Squid Game. They also interview award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker, John Colapinto, about his book This is the Voice. And finally, we bring on chart analyst, pop critic, and host of the Slate podcast “Hit Parade,” Chris Molanphy for a fun music quiz. We hope you’re ready! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus.  dgyyKiS48oA6lor0RqFt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer discuss a regional grammatical construction that is most common in the Philadelphia area, though it’s also found in Canada and Vermont. Then they talk with journalist Allyson Waller about Black American Sign Language. Waller won the Linguistics Journalism award from the Linguistic Society of America for her New York Times piece “Black, Deaf, and Extremely Online.” Finally, we invite listener Ben Snitkoff to take part in some wordplay with an improv-comedy theme. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected]. Produced by Jasmine Ellis and June Thomas. Here are some notes and references from this episode: The Yale Grammatical Diversity Project page for the “done my homework” construction A Facebook Live video of a conversation between Britney Trumpy and Patsy Kelly “Black, Deaf, and Extremely Online,” by Allyson Waller for the New York Times The Linguistics Society of America’s announcement of the 2021 Linguistics Journalism Award Nakia Smith’s TikTok page The documentary Signing Black in America Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed, by Carl Zimmer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Ben Zimmer tells Nicole Holliday how he’s been brushing up his Dutch. They also interview Cindy Blanco, senior learning specialist for the online language-learning app, Duolingo. And finally, we invite a listener to play a quiz that looks at the Dutch roots of some English words. We hope you’re ready!! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Duolingo blog. Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer share their thoughts on Pfizer’s official name for its COVID vaccine. They also interview Sam Ezersky, digital puzzles editor for the New York Times, about the popular online game the Spelling Bee. And finally, we invite a listener to play our inspired version of the Spelling Bee. We hope you’ve been practicing! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Rewordable: https://rewordable.com/ BLABRECS: https://mkremins.github.io/blabrecs/ Lisa Davidson on Comirnaty: https://slate.com/technology/2021/08/comirnaty-pfizer-vaccine-linguistics.html New York Times Spelling Bee: https://www.nytimes.com/puzzles/spelling-bee Spelling Bee Forum: https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/spelling-bee-forum Laura Lippman on her Spelling Bee obsession: https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/02/spelling-bee-new-york-times-praise.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of The Relentless is all about how to be a good communicator in an evolving, digital world. Host Kristen Meinzer talks to three guests who have valuable insights and perspectives about communication dynamics, both on and offline: Erica Dhawan, communication expert and author of Digital Body Language and Get Big Things Done, and Michael and Matthew Atwood, co-owners of Atwood Management and hosts of the Realty Brothers podcast. Their conversations explore how we can translate listening skills and body language to the digital realm, and why good communication is key to developing lasting relationships built on trust. Guests Erica Dhawan: Communication expert, advisor author, and speaker Michael and Matthew Atwood: Co-owners of Atwood Management and CENTURY 21 Atwood, and hosts of the Realty Brothers podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole Holliday shows Ben Zimmer an entertaining TikTok video that does some fascinating things with language. They also interview Norma Mendoza-Denton, professor of anthropology at UCLA, about her recently published article “ ‘Sticking It to the Man’: r/wallstreetbets, Generational Masculinity and Revenge in Narratives of our Dystopian Capitalist Age.” And finally, a listener joins us for some wordplay that will put your geography skills to the test. We hope you’re ready! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected].   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Cheyna Roth.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, hosts Ben Zimmer and Nicole Holliday chat about language at the Olympics in Tokyo. They also chat with linguist Arika Okrent about her new book, Highly Irregular: Why Tough, Through, and Dough Don't Rhyme―And Other Oddities of the English Language. (Check out an essay Okrent wrote about the English spelling system.) And finally, we have our first guest joining us for a fun quiz segment that you don’t want to miss.  Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected]. You can also use that email address to let us know if you’d like to take part in a future episode, where we’ll bring in listeners for some challenging wordplay.   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Cheyna Roth.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Spectacular Vernacular, Slate’s new podcast about language! In our inaugural episode, hosts Ben Zimmer and Nicole Holliday marvel at Zaila Avant-garde’s historic win at Scripps National Spelling Bee. They also chat with They Might Be Giants’, John Linnell, about creating his new pandemic project in Latin. And finally, they do some fun language puzzles, and you can play along at home.  Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at [email protected]. You can also use that email address to let us know if you’d like to take part in a future episode, where we’ll bring in listeners for some challenging wordplay.   You can listen to John Linnell’s new EP here. Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Cheyna Roth.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A grueling, painful, lifelong joy of studying Russian was sparked by Anna Karenina. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From vowelless words to complex poetry, Berber to Somali. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deconstructing a single line of dialogue from Netflix's "The Crown." Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are so many of the languages of Southeast Asia "like Chinese"? Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

English is full of redundancies—so why are we bothered by only a select few? Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John McWhorter teases his new book about off-color English expressions, starting with c!#k. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A single word—take "self," for example—reveals the thorny nature of literary translation. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't be fooled into thinking that English is a typical language. It's not. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many languages, the idea that the subject belongs up front is plain backwards. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did a word meaning "with bread" come to sprout its corporate connotation? Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the evolution of ain't to double negatives, simply saying no is wonderfully complex. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our language contains a trove of buried clues, petrified remnants of its past. But you have to know where to dig. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lots of languages divide words into categories, like male and female. How does that happen? Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Words have a way of rebelling against their etymological parents, acquiring meanings of their own. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That language changes is certain. How quickly or slowly is another matter. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story of how one little verb developed a seemingly endless capacity to absorb new meanings. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A controversial theory holds that English, along with other Germanic languages, was profoundly influenced early on by Phoenician. The evidence is intriguing. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Twain famously depicted what he called the "Missouri Negro dialect" of Jim. Would that be acceptable today? Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Animals bark, sing, purr and even gesture, all fascinating but a far cry from human communication. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Lexicon Valley each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our show. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices