Booksmart Studios

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Channel • 2 Shows

Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly

20/03/2023

Age, Color, Origin, Material

In this favorite from the archives, John discusses some unwritten rules of English that can be remarkably difficult for a learner of English to master. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 95: "Age, Color, Origin, Material." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20/03/2023

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28 min
22/09/2021

The Pandemic's Effect on Language

Turns out that some languages are less intelligible through a mask than others, and, believe it or not, it all depends on how often you use certain consonants. It’s called the McGurk effect and it’s the closest that linguistics comes to actual magic. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 222: "The Pandemic's Effect on Language." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22/09/2021

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32 min
30/12/2025

A Toast to Toast

Raise a glass to browned bread ... now you're toast! Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 286: "A Toast to Toast." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30/12/2025

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30 min
08/11/2024 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Occupy!

Occupied, like the word busy we discussed in the previous episode, has an interesting — and at times sordid — past. John explains. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Bonus: "Occupy!" With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved.

08/11/2024 · Bonus

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5 min
07/09/2022 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Sullen, Secure & Sober

Self, solo and even those idio- words — like idiosyncratic and idiolect — all derive from the same ancient root. Oh, and words like ethnic and ethic too. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Bonus: "Sullen, Secure & Sober." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved.

07/09/2022 · Bonus

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4 min
19/12/2023 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

From Grunts to Special Grunts

One word seems as likely as any other, and more likely than most, to have been the very first. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Bonus: "From Grunts to Special Grunts." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved.

19/12/2023 · Bonus

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4 min
19/04/2022 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

English Is Hard Enough Without Antiquated Distinctions

Native speakers of English can discern the nuances that distinguish words like “help,” “assist” and “aid,” yet we’ve always had trouble with certain textbook grammar rules. For the love of language, it’s time to let “lie” and “lay” go. Civilization will not collapse, we promise you. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Bonus: "English Is Hard Enough Without Antiquated Distinctions." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved.

19/04/2022 · Bonus

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6 min
21/10/2025 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Ghost Town

Von Glitschka, aka @vonster, is cited by the Oxford English Dictionary for his early use of *ghosted* on Twitter. Mike Vuolo tracks him down. Visit ⁠Lexicon Valley⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. With Von Glitschka and Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

21/10/2025 · Bonus

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11 min
21/12/2021 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Four Calling Birds? Not Exactly.

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a slog. It's repetitive, replete with archaic imagery and long — and so one can be forgiven for getting a bit sloppy with the lyrics. That's what happened with the phrase “colly birds,” which eventually mutated to “calling birds.” Wait, what's a colly bird? Visit ⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Bonus: "Four Calling Birds? Not Exactly." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved.

21/12/2021 · Bonus

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3 min
23/09/2025 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

In a Hot Minute

John muses more about expressions involving the word minute. Visit ⁠Lexicon Valley⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Bonus: "In a Hot Minute." With John McWhorter. Produced by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved.

23/09/2025 · Bonus

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6 min

A podcast about language, with hosts Mike Vuolo, Bob Garfield and John McWhorter.

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SOCIETY & CULTURE

Exploring the power of language to inform and misinform. Podcast by Mike Vuolo, Bob Garfield and John McWhorter. If you haven’t yet, please consider a paid subscription to Lexicon Valley. Visit BooksmartStudios.com!

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Booksmart Studios

Ad free and exclusive episodes from Lexicon Valley

Top Shows

Age, Color, Origin, Material

The Pandemic's Effect on Language

A Toast to Toast

Occupy!

Sullen, Secure & Sober

From Grunts to Special Grunts

English Is Hard Enough Without Antiquated Distinctions

Ghost Town

Four Calling Birds? Not Exactly.

In a Hot Minute

Ad free and exclusive episodes from Lexicon Valley

Occupy!

Sullen, Secure & Sober

From Grunts to Special Grunts

English Is Hard Enough Without Antiquated Distinctions

Ghost Town

Four Calling Birds? Not Exactly.

In a Hot Minute

23,000 Year Old Footprints Help Solve a Vexing Linguistic Riddle

In Language, Context Is King

I Got Beat

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