Synopsis
Lexicon Valley is a show about language, from pet peeves, syntax, and etymology to neurolinguistics and the death of languages. Hosted by linguist John McWhorter.
Episodes
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![The Story of P]()
The Story of P
17/04/2018 Duration: 39minJohn McWhorter on why the 16th letter of our alphabet is a fancy little thing. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![English Spelling Is a Beautiful Mess]()
English Spelling Is a Beautiful Mess
03/04/2018 Duration: 37minJohn McWhorter on why English spelling is so frustratingly idiosyncratic. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Did the Founding Fathers Have a British Accent?]()
Did the Founding Fathers Have a British Accent?
20/03/2018 Duration: 37minJohn McWhorter on what Washington, Franklin and Hamilton may have sounded like. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![No-Uh!]()
No-Uh!
06/03/2018 Duration: 35minJohn McWhorter on the rise of an exclamatory syllable in English. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![The Inner Workings of Out]()
The Inner Workings of Out
20/02/2018 Duration: 35minJohn McWhorter on the rich complexities of a humble preposition. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Words, For Her]()
Words, For Her
06/02/2018 Duration: 35minJohn McWhorter on the origin of woman, girl and other lady terms. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Whats the Deal with Eleven?]()
What's the Deal with Eleven?
23/01/2018 Duration: 45minJohn McWhorter on the etymology and pronunciation of English numbers. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![There Are Two N-Words]()
There Are Two N-Words
09/01/2018 Duration: 35minLike gangster and gangsta, nigger and nigga have become two distinct words. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![The Thing Is Is]()
The Thing Is Is
26/12/2017 Duration: 34minThe problem is, is that we sometimes say is twice. Why? Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![An Accidental Sanctity]()
An Accidental Sanctity
12/12/2017 Duration: 34minBiblical scholar Mark Ward discusses his forthcoming book, Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Thanksgiving Misnomers]()
Thanksgiving Misnomers
28/11/2017 Duration: 36minTurkey? Pumpkin? Squash? They're all mistakes. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Sometimes Just Because]()
Sometimes Just Because
14/11/2017 Duration: 32minLanguage is often at the mercy of pure chance. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Against Strunk White]()
Against Strunk & White
31/10/2017 Duration: 33minIt's time to permanently shelve the Elements of Style. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Whence Baby Mama?]()
Whence Baby Mama?
17/10/2017 Duration: 38minJohn McWhorter answers questions from Lexicon Valley listeners. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Este No Es Parqueo]()
Este No Es Parqueo
03/10/2017 Duration: 36minAfter parking in front of a garage, John received a note written in Spanish. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![From Pidgins to Creoles]()
From Pidgins to Creoles
19/09/2017 Duration: 39minJohn McWhorter discusses the process by which some new languages are born. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Do Languages Simplify Over Time?]()
Do Languages Simplify Over Time?
05/09/2017 Duration: 32minOld English was arguably more complicated than Modern English. Is that true of all languages? Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![Did Cavebabies Say Mama and Papa?]()
Did Cavebabies Say Mama and Papa?
22/08/2017 Duration: 32minLanguages across the world developed similar words for mom and dad. How is that possible? Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![New Life for Dying Languages]()
New Life for Dying Languages
08/08/2017 Duration: 37minThe Language Conservancy's Wil Meya discusses the effort to revive Native American languages. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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![In the Negative]()
In the Negative
25/07/2017 Duration: 32minJohn McWhorter on the history and evolution of no and not. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalley Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
