Words You Should Know

Today, we’re talking distress signals—not because we’re feeling distressed necessarily, at least I hope note, but because there are secret grammar mistakes hiding in plain sight if you know where to look for them. Really? Yes indeed. Or if you don’t have language correction tendencies, let’s bring it down to a simple question: where does the word “Mayday” come from? And here's another question: How about S.O.S.? Dictionary updates, dictionary attacks, the language choices of Helsinki, and robots communicating with blockchain technology! Oh, there's so much to cover. Find out the latest in writing and communications news and more in Episode #45 of The "Words You Should Know" podcast.

Where does the expression "pleased as punch" come from? What about "punch drunk"? Or "punch line"? Or the drink called "punch"? How does David Copperfield fit into this conversation? Word origin stories can be fascinating! A long lost King Arthur manuscript decoded and explored, the latest developments in machine learning and language processing technology. Breaking news about my debut novel! Oh, there's so much to cover. Find out the latest in writing and communications news and more in Episode #44 of The "Words You Should Know" podcast.

Sometimes the world seems annoyed that there just isn’t a word to express exactly what you want. There’s no English word for that intimate feeling of sitting around a fire in the winter with close friends (though it exists in Danish: hygge). There’s no word for the feeling of anticipation when you’re waiting for someone to show up at your house and you keep going outside to see if they’re there yet (though it exists in Inuit: iktsuarpok). Or what about the word for that panicky hesitation just before you have to introduce someone whose name you can’t quite remember? (The Scots call this tortle.) Of course, sometimes the word you need seems simple. How do you differentiate a singular versus plural “you”? But here’s the secret. For this one, at least, the English language already has an answer. Welcome to the summer series of the Words You Should Know podcast, where we’ll revisit “Story Stop Tour” events of earlier this year and popular episodes you may have missed from years past. This is the encore of Episode 14: “The plural form of 'you' already exists (and all these other words you’ve always wanted),” originally released January 23, 2019. Enjoy the show!

"Story Stop: Enter the Toastmasters" will bring you behind the scenes into the lives of four amazing speakers and storytellers, Joan Bowling, Roger Caesar, Shanna Kabatznick, and Gayle Turner. Everyone has stories to tell, and capturing them can be not only a special effort but a profound personal or family project. Maybe after listening in, you'll feel called to capture the stories of your own. Welcome to the summer series of the Words You Should Know podcast, where we’ll revisit “Story Stop Tour” events of earlier this year and popular episodes you may have missed from years past. What are my Story Stops? Imagine a program where you take a pause in your life to consider the stories that have shaped you into who you are. That’s what my third book, The Family Story Workbook, is all about, and at my Story Stop Tour events, I’ve been honored to hear the stories of talented authors, poets, and wordsmiths as they dive into their memories and invite you to dive into yours. You can learn more about these events at StoryStopTour.com. This is the encore of Story Stop: Enter the Toastmasters, originally held on April 9, 2021, and now replayed for you here on the “Words You Should Know” podcast. Enjoy the show!

When it comes to superlatives, sometimes it’s tricky. For example, if your mom has ever told you she couldn’t be more proud, maybe she said it because it was true. But before you start feeling all the warm fuzzies, maybe it was just a matter of linguistics. “More proud” isn’t really a thing. I might have just broken some hearts. Let's dig in and see what I mean. Welcome to the summer series of the Words You Should Know podcast, where we’ll revisit “Story Stop Tour” events of earlier this year and popular episodes you may have missed from years past. This is the encore of Episode 10: “Prouder” or “More Proud” than a Peacock? (Plus a Spelling Meme Debunked), originally released November 13, 2018. Enjoy the show!

"Story Stop: Writing, Editing and Personal Perspectives" will bring you behind the scenes into the lives of two talented women who act as nonfiction editors, ghostwriters, poets, and business-focused wordsmiths: Karin Wiberg and Rita Lewis. Everyone has stories to tell, and capturing them can be not only a special effort but a profound personal or family project. Maybe after listening in, you'll feel called to capture the stories of your own. Welcome to the summer series of the Words You Should Know podcast, where we’ll revisit “Story Stop Tour” events of earlier this year and popular episodes you may have missed from years past. What are my Story Stops? Imagine a program where you take a pause in your life to consider the stories that have shaped you into who you are. That’s what my third book, The Family Story Workbook, is all about, and at my Story Stop Tour events, I’ve been honored to hear the stories of talented authors, poets, and wordsmiths as they dive into their memories and invite you to dive into yours. You can learn more about these events at StoryStopTour.com. This is the encore of Story Stop: Writing, Editing and Personal Perspectives, originally held on March 19, 2021, and now replayed for you here on the “Words You Should Know” podcast. Enjoy the show!

Is the expression “another think coming” or “another thing coming”? Do you know the correct answer? Does Judas Priest? Does former president Barack Obama? Can a single phrase connect this unlikely pairing? Welcome to the summer series of the Words You Should Know podcast, where we’ll revisit “Story Stop Tour” events of earlier this year and popular episodes you may have missed from years past. This is the encore of Episode 4: “Should You Trust Judas Priest on Language Use? (“Another Think Coming” or “Another Thing Coming”?) originally released October 3, 2018. Enjoy the show!

"Story Stop: Bookish Road Trip" will bring you behind the scenes into the lives of authors Melissa Face, Libby McNamee, Mary Helen Sheriff, and Julie Valerie, founders of the "Bookish Road Trip" Facebook Group. Everyone has stories to tell, and capturing them can be not only a special effort but a profound personal or family project. Maybe after listening in, you'll feel called to capture the stories of your own. Welcome to the summer series of the Words You Should Know podcast, where we’ll revisit “Story Stop Tour” events of earlier this year and popular episodes you may have missed from years past. What are my Story Stops? Imagine a program where you take a pause in your life to consider the stories that have shaped you into who you are. That’s what my third book, The Family Story Workbook, is all about, and at my Story Stop Tour events, I’ve been honored to hear the stories of talented authors, poets, and wordsmiths as they dive into their memories and invite you to dive into yours. You can learn more about these events at StoryStopTour.com. This is the encore of Story Stop: Bookish Road Trip, originally held on February 11, 2021, and now replayed for you here on the “Words You Should Know” podcast. Enjoy the show!

People have cared dramatically about the English language and its rules across time, and we need to continue this conversation. Changing the alphabet, the gradual formation of American English, arguments on the House floor in Washington, D.C. ... These are the little known stories that make up the history of our communications. Welcome to the summer series of the Words You Should Know podcast, where we’ll revisit “Story Stop Tour” events of earlier this year and popular episodes you may have missed from years past. This is the encore of Episode 3: “Franklin, Roosevelt & Getting a Grip on the English Language,” originally released September 29, 2018. Enjoy the show!

Why do we call them the "Dog Days of Summer"? Does it have anything to do with a panting doggo? Maybe. Maybe not. Scientific precision isn’t always captured in language, but the evolution of scientific thought sometimes is. Summertime heat. The naming of "solstice." Oh, there's a lot that's cool in this heated conversation. Long post poetry of William Carlos Williams. The exploration of rediscovered poets of the Middle Ages in Italy. Wife swaps in Illuminated Manuscripts. Seriously? Yes indeed. Find out the latest in writing and communications news and more in Episode #43 of The "Words You Should Know" podcast.