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Slate Podcasts
A feed from the Slate podcast network featuring episodes with enlightening conversations, opposing views, and plenty of healthy disputes. You'll get a curated selection of episodes from programs like What Next, The Waves, and the Political Gabfest, with deep discussions that go beyond point-counterpoint and shed light on the issues that matter most.
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What Does It Mean to Sound Gay?

What Does It Mean to Sound Gay?

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to speech scientist Benjamin Munson about the "gay voice." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
39:1701/12/2014
LinguaFile V | Get One's Goat

LinguaFile V | Get One's Goat

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
35:3417/11/2014
Number Theory

Number Theory

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo ask the question: How did we go from "four and twenty" to "twenty four"? Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
29:3203/11/2014
LinguaFile IV | Snark

LinguaFile IV | Snark

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
44:0520/10/2014
Man on the Street

Man on the Street

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to Jonathon Green, author of The Vulgar Tongue and Green's Dictionary of Slang, a 6,000-page, three-volume reference more than 20 years in the making. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
40:4706/10/2014
LinguaFile III | Orange

LinguaFile III | Orange

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31:0722/09/2014
Demonstratively Speaking

Demonstratively Speaking

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss Sarah Palin's use of demonstrative pronouns. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32:3208/09/2014
LinguaFile II | Lagniappe

LinguaFile II | Lagniappe

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26:1925/08/2014
The Manic Pixie and the Magical Negro

The Manic Pixie and the Magical Negro

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to arts critic Nathan Rabin and journalist Christopher John Farley about the phrases they coined to identify two of Hollywood's most pernicious tropes. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32:5211/08/2014
LinguaFile I | Discombobulate

LinguaFile I | Discombobulate

Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield discuss a mystery word or phrase with Vocabulary.com executive producer Ben Zimmer. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Follow @lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
20:5528/07/2014
Lexicon Valley No. 38: Fisherman's Whorf

Lexicon Valley No. 38: Fisherman's Whorf

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to Columbia University professor John McWhorter about his new book, The Language Hoax. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
36:3514/07/2014
Lexicon Valley No. 37: Legislating Language

Lexicon Valley No. 37: Legislating Language

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss four legal cases in which the dictionary played a crucial part. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
34:1110/03/2014
Lexicon Valley No. 36: The Dude Abides

Lexicon Valley No. 36: The Dude Abides

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the early history of the word "dude." Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
38:0127/01/2014
Lexicon Valley No. 35: Learning to Say No

Lexicon Valley No. 35: Learning to Say No

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the many meanings of a child's "no." Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27:4823/12/2013
Lexicon Valley No. 34: Ask Not Who Wrote "Ask Not"

Lexicon Valley No. 34: Ask Not Who Wrote "Ask Not"

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss JFK's Inaugural Address with Richard Tofel, author of Sounding the Trumpet. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31:5716/12/2013
Lexicon Valley No. 33: The End of Ambiguity

Lexicon Valley No. 33: The End of Ambiguity

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to linguist Arika Okrent about the most logical language ever invented. Show notes at www.slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27:0009/12/2013
Lexicon Valley: Special Announcement

Lexicon Valley: Special Announcement

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo announce the return of Lexicon Valley. Yay! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
03:0604/12/2013
Lexicon Valley No. 32: The Burden of Being Right

Lexicon Valley No. 32: The Burden of Being Right

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the irresistible pull of language pedantry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
37:0605/08/2013
Lexicon Valley No. 31: Name That Tone

Lexicon Valley No. 31: Name That Tone

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the relationship between tonal languages and musical acuity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30:2715/07/2013
Lexicon Valley No. 30: Eject at High Altitude

Lexicon Valley No. 30: Eject at High Altitude

Mike Vuolo talks with an anthropological linguist about the influence geography might have on speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21:3001/07/2013
Lexicon Valley #29: 30 Million By Four

Lexicon Valley #29: 30 Million By Four

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the importance of talking to your child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31:2424/06/2013
Lexicon Valley #28: A Brief History of Swearing

Lexicon Valley #28: A Brief History of Swearing

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss curse words old and new with author Melissa Mohr. Show notes at slate.com/lexiconvalley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26:5517/06/2013
Lexicon Valley #27: Accentuate the Positive

Lexicon Valley #27: Accentuate the Positive

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the seemingly paradoxical phrase "yeah-no." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28:2710/06/2013
Special Announcement

Special Announcement

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo announce a new run of Lexicon Valley episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
03:2701/06/2013
Lexicon Valley #26: The Fawth Flaw, Part II

Lexicon Valley #26: The Fawth Flaw, Part II

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss R-dropping and the New York accent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31:5528/01/2013
Lexicon Valley #25: The Fawth Flaw

Lexicon Valley #25: The Fawth Flaw

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a defining feature of the classic New York accent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24:4814/01/2013
Lexicon Valley #24: Get Your Creak On

Lexicon Valley #24: Get Your Creak On

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss creaky voice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28:3331/12/2012
Lexicon Valley #23: Good Is Up

Lexicon Valley #23: Good Is Up

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss metaphor and the "fiscal cliff." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
29:5617/12/2012
Lexicon Valley #22: Talking Leaves and Lightning Paper

Lexicon Valley #22: Talking Leaves and Lightning Paper

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the Cherokee syllabary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31:0603/12/2012
Lexicon Valley #21: Undocumented Illegals

Lexicon Valley #21: Undocumented Illegals

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the debate over "illegal" versus "undocumented" at the heart of U.S. immigration policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
35:2212/11/2012
Lexicon Valley #20: Death to Potatoes

Lexicon Valley #20: Death to Potatoes

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo speak with Nataly Kelly, coauthor of Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
34:3329/10/2012
Lexicon Valley #19: Here's to You Mrs. Malaprop

Lexicon Valley #19: Here's to You Mrs. Malaprop

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss what malapropisms might reveal about the way we organize our mental dictionary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
33:2015/10/2012
Lexicon Valley #18: The Rate of Exchange

Lexicon Valley #18: The Rate of Exchange

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the commonly held belief that some languages are spoken faster than others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27:0701/10/2012
Lexicon Valley #17: Ascent of the A-word

Lexicon Valley #17: Ascent of the A-word

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to linguist Geoffrey Nunberg about his book Ascent of the A-word: A**holism, the First Sixty Years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27:5117/09/2012
Special Announcement from Lexicon Valley

Special Announcement from Lexicon Valley

Mike announces a run of all new episodes beginning later in the summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
03:4318/07/2012
Lexicon Valley #16: Our Dying Words

Lexicon Valley #16: Our Dying Words

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss what we lose when a language goes extinct. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23:4009/07/2012
Lexicon Valley #15: Then Is Now, Now and Then

Lexicon Valley #15: Then Is Now, Now and Then

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the historical present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32:0402/07/2012
Lexicon Valley #14: By Their Words You Shall Know Them

Lexicon Valley #14: By Their Words You Shall Know Them

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss stylometry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32:5918/06/2012
Lexicon Valley #13: Capturing the Past

Lexicon Valley #13: Capturing the Past

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk about how Mad Men and Downton Abbey can teach us about language change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
40:0311/06/2012
Lexicon Valley #12: The Eloquence of Plain English

Lexicon Valley #12: The Eloquence of Plain English

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the Gettysburg Address. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32:3304/06/2012
Lexicon Valley #11: When Being Done Replaced Doing

Lexicon Valley #11: When Being Done Replaced Doing

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the most significant change to the English language that you've never heard of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28:4427/05/2012
Lexicon Valley #10: One Giant Leap for Humanity

Lexicon Valley #10: One Giant Leap for Humanity

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the he said/she said of the epicene pronoun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
39:5814/05/2012
Lexicon Valley #9: And May He Be a Masculine Bridge

Lexicon Valley #9: And May He Be a Masculine Bridge

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss how a simple quirk of grammar may affect the way we think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32:0007/05/2012
Lexicon Valley #8: When Nouns Grew Genitals

Lexicon Valley #8: When Nouns Grew Genitals

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss what it means for language to have gender. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30:3030/04/2012
Lexicon Valley #7: A Needle Pulling Thread

Lexicon Valley #7: A Needle Pulling Thread

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the big ambitions of the word "so." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30:1923/04/2012
Lexicon Valley #6: A Meditation on Scrabble

Lexicon Valley #6: A Meditation on Scrabble

Mike Vuolo talks to "Word Freak" author Stefan Fatsis about the nature of language in Scrabble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
35:4512/03/2012
Lexicon Valley #5: Untuning the String

Lexicon Valley #5: Untuning the String

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to author David Skinner about his book, The Story of Ain't, which will be published in the fall of 2012. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
37:2205/03/2012
Lexicon Valley #4: Jumpin' Salty in The O

Lexicon Valley #4: Jumpin' Salty in The O

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the vernacular wrapped in a dialect inside a language that some call Ebonics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
41:0827/02/2012
Lexicon Valley #3: Consider the Lamppost

Lexicon Valley #3: Consider the Lamppost

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the hypercorrected incorrectness of "between you and I." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30:0920/02/2012
Lexicon Valley #2: A Bundle of Faggots

Lexicon Valley #2: A Bundle of Faggots

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the evolution of the word "faggot." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32:4713/02/2012