The Allusionist Helen Zaltzman

Lexicographer, author and Dictionary Corner resident Susie Dent has been studying words to make us feel happy. She brings etymologies concerning cows, gas, guts and fat, of bellies and breathing and bonanzas. And some that came from the high seas and aren't made up!

Find out more about this episode and the topics therein, and obtain the transcript, at theallusionist.org/siblings-of-chaos.

Become a member of the Allusioverse at theallusionist.org/donate and as well as keeping this independent podcast going, you get regular livestreams and watchalong parties - AND to hang out with your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community. We'll be watching the new season of Great British Bake Off together, starting Tuesday 26 September 2023.

Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk lovingly and winningly about your product or thing, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude 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. • Ravensburger, who make jigsaw puzzles for ages toddler to ancient and piece preferences from two to 40,000!• Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist. • HelloFresh, America’s number 1 meal kit - pre-portioned farm-fresh ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your door. Go to HelloFresh.com/50allusionist and use the code 50allusionist for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months.
Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an abiding myth that the landmark dictionaries are the work of one man, in a dusty paper-filled garrett tirelessly working away singlehandedly. But really it took a village: behind every Big Daddy of Lexicography was usually a team of women, keeping the garrett clean, organising the piles of papers, reading through all the citations, doing research, writing definitions, editing, subediting...essentially being lexicographers, without the credit or the pay. Academic Lindsay Rose Russell, author of Women and Dictionary-Making, talks about the roles of women in lexicography: enabling male lexicographers to get the job done, but also making their own dictionaries, and challenging the very paradigms of dictionaries.

Find out more about this episode and the topics therein, and obtain the transcript, at theallusionist.org/cairns.

Become a member of the Allusioverse at theallusionist.org/donate and as well as keeping this independent podcast going, you get regular livestreams and watchalong parties - AND to hang out with your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community.

Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk lovingly and winningly about your product or thing, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by:

• Blueland, refillable home cleaning products eliminating single-use plastics. Get 15% off your first order by going to blueland.com/allusionist. • Kitsch, who make products to care for your hair and skin - shampoo and conditioner bars, soaps, sleep masks, heatless rollers, satin hoodies and bonnets and pillowcases... Get a whopping 30% off your entire order at MyKitsch.com/allusionist. • Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist. • HelloFresh, America’s number 1 meal kit - pre-portioned farm-fresh ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your door. Go to HelloFresh.com/50allusionist and use the code 50allusionist for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months.• 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. 
Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sterling Martin was in grad school, studying C. elegans worms, when COVID19 hit and suddenly he found himself in lexicography, as part of a team creating a Navajo-English dictionary of science terms.

Browse the dictionary at EnableNavajo.org, and donate to help the project add more educational materials at navajobiology.square.site.

Find out more about this episode and the topics therein, and obtain the transcript, at theallusionist.org/projectenable.

Become a member of the Allusioverse at theallusionist.org/donate and as well as keeping this independent podcast going, you get regular livestreams and watchalong parties - AND to hang out with your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community. Plus, if you sign up by 31 August 2023, I will record the words and phrases of your choice for you to use as your phone text tone or alarm or doorbell or little message of affirmation.

Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk lovingly and winningly about your product or thing, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by:

• Blueland, refillable home cleaning products eliminating single-use plastics. Get 15% off your first order by going to blueland.com/allusionist.• Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist. • HelloFresh, America’s number 1 meal kit - pre-portioned farm-fresh ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your door. Go to  HelloFresh.com/50allusionist and use the code 50allusionist for 16 free meals PLUS free shipping.
Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the annual etymology quizlusionist! I’m on a family holiday for the first time since 1988, so enlisted my brother Andy Zaltzman of the Bugle podcast to test his/your wits on singing goats, explosives, mythological Greek sweeteners, attics, left-handedness and whales.

Can you beat Andy’s score? Play along using the interactive scoresheet at theallusionist.org/andyquiz.

Become a member of the Allusioverse at theallusionist.org/donate and as well as keeping this independent podcast going, you get regular livestreams and watchalong parties - AND to hang out with your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community. Plus, if you sign up by 31 August 2023, I will record the words and phrases of your choice for you to use as your phone text tone or alarm or doorbell or little message of affirmation.

Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk lovingly and winningly about your product or thing, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by:

• Blueland, refillable home cleaning products eliminating single-use plastics. Get 15% off your first order by going to blueland.com/allusionist.• Ravensburger, who have been making jigsaw puzzles since 1883! Try their vast range of puzzles from 2 pieces to 40,000.• 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. • Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist. • Kitsch, who make products to care for your hair and skin - shampoo and conditioner bars, soaps, sleep masks, heatless rollers, satin hoodies and bonnets and pillowcases... Get a whopping 30% off your entire order at MyKitsch.com/allusionist.
Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered why the planets in our solar system are all named after Roman deities, except two of them? One of those exceptions is Earth. The other is Uranus.

Content note: there are mentions of Ancient Greek and Roman deities and their terrible sexual behaviours and violent vengeance. Also category B and C swears.

Find more information about this episode and a transcript at theallusionist.org/uranus.

This episode was written, performed and produced by Helen Zaltzman and Martin Austwick. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at facebook.com/allusionistshow, instagram.com/allusionistshow,  youtube.com/allusionistshow and twitter.com/allusionistshow.

Support the show at theallusionist.org/donate and as well as keeping this independent podcast going, you also get regular livestreams and watchalong parties - in July, Little Shop of Horrors! - AND to hang out with your fellow Allusionauts in the delightful Allusioverse Discord community. And for a limited time only, you can submit words and phrases that you would like me to record for you to use as your phone text tone or alarm or doorbell or little message of affirmation. Sign up to the Allusioverse at theallusionist.org/donate by 31 August 2023 to get your choice of me shouting you awake in the morning. 

Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk lovingly and winningly about your product or thing, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by:

• Catan, the endlessly reconfigurable social board game. Shop at catanshop.com/allusionist and get 10% off the original base game CATAN by using the promo code ALLUSIONIST at checkout. • Kitsch, who make products to care for your hair and skin - shampoo and conditioner bars, soaps, sleep bonnets, heatless rollers, satin hoodies and pillowcases... Get a whopping 30% off your entire order at MyKitsch.com/allusionist.• Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running a beautifully designed website. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist.• HelloFresh, America’s number 1 meal kit - pre-portioned farm-fresh ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your door. Go to HelloFresh.com/allusionist16 and use the code allusionist16 for 16 free meals PLUS free shipping.
Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the Tranquillusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, say a load of words which aren’t really about anything, so that your brain gets a little gentle diversion from thinking and/or feeling. Today: a list of gay animals.

Find a transcript at theallusionist.org/gay-animals. Several other Tranquillusionists and nearly 200 Allusionist episodes that are actually about something - are at theallusionist.org.

Support the show at theallusionist.org/donate and as well as keeping this independent podcast going, you also get glimpses into how the podsausage is made, regular livestreams and watchalong parties, AND to hang out with your fellow Allusionauts in the delightful Allusioverse Discord community.

The Allusionist is produced by me, Helen Zaltzman. Martin Austwick composed and played the original music. Hear Martin’s own songs via PaleBirdMusic.com. Information about gay animals was derived from Bruce Bagemihl's work Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity.

The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at facebook.com/allusionistshow, instagram.com/allusionistshow,  youtube.com/allusionistshow and twitter.com/allusionistshow.

Our ad partner is Multitude. If you have a product or thing you want me to talk about, sponsor an episode - contact Multitude 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. • Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running a beautifully designed website. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist.
Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.