36: All Language Is Made Up

Glenn takes a seat while panelists discuss literal American-style pants and trousers around the world that are designed for people who identify as women—and the many styles that fail to fit many bodies! Also: missing pockets—the agents of the patriarchy never rest. Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Julia Skott, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Saskia Koehler, and Shelly Brisbin.

This episode features outbursts of descriptive words of body parts and fluids—and not just in English. We talk both about stuff people are uncomfortable saying and words that they use as freely as breathing air. With our international cast of characters on this episode, spanning three continents and two hemispheres, we mix English, Dutch, Russian, and Swedish, with a dash of Scots England. Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Julia Skott, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Saskia Koehler, and Shelly Brisbin.

Languages are full of, um, filler words, you know, like, what’s it? We talk in this episode about doodads, whatchamacallits, mojang, and oder, right? Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Julia Skott, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Saskia Koehler, and Shelly Brisbin.

We’re back with a new set of Pants in the Boots episode with our largest, most geographically and linguistically varied set of panelists—from New Zealand/Aotearoa in the southern hemisphere to 10,000 miles (16,000 km) away in Sweden, we spanned several time zones and multiple native tongues…all to talk about that most English language of things: muesli! After a recent Gameshow episode in which a mini-muesli kerfuffle emerged, we enlisted help from a Swede named Skott and a Scot born in Germany to set the porridge boiling. Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Julia Skott, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Saskia Koehler, and Shelly Brisbin.

Two of our panelists have Dutch origins and so we veer from our usual discussion of things related to English to dive briefly into salty licorice, Christmas holiday letters made of chocolate, and stroopwafel dipping. Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson, and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

We’re sweet on sugar, but many of our panelists don’t cotton to American candy—including the American participants. We discuss our favorite chocolate bars and confections, Glenn forgets the word for licorice briefly, seaside rock crops up, and we drop into dipping Tim Tams. The Surgeon General warns that this episode might exceed your sugar allocation for the year. This is our membership drive episode—become an Incomparable member! Sign up, support our show, and get access to exclusive podcasts! We’ve scheduled a special members-only live and then archived video session of Pants in the Boot in which we eat candies and sweets of various countries and describe our reactions. We’ll take questions and comments from members during the recording on May 14 at 10 am PDT! Become a member for all the details! Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson, and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Soda, pop, soda pop, soft drink, tonic, seltzer, and other fizzy drinks form the sweet backbone of our discussion as panelists talk about their childhood drinks, fountains and soda jerks, and a special beverage from Malta. Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson, and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

People who speak English with one accent trying to ape another region or country’s often sound ridiculous to the people of that other place—but convincing to those from their native land’s impression of what people in that other place sound like. Benedict Cumberbatch, just for instance. Confused? It’ll all make sense when we go to Glasgow. Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson, and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

There’s something about the way people in different countries makes those from others swoon. But there’s often a disdain for regional accents, particularly ones that have class markers. In a language with few accent marks above letters, we talk about the dulcet tones we like from around the world. Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson, and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Hokey crokey, Batman! We start by talking about nonsense words—words that are filler and mean nothing in the language or dialect in which they’re used—but then transition to more meaningful matters, like the way in which aboriginal and native languages in various countries have made inroads into English. The movie Brave is mentioned and, of course, Johnny Vegas of St Helens. Host Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson, and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.