Butter No Parsnips

Emily’s feeling generous this week, so she’s gifted Kyle a word with a delightful meaning and fascinating origin, lagniappe. Our hosts begin their journey in the mountains of South America. Kyle spots some English words which originate in the Quechua languages of that region, and Emily traces a path from Quechua through Spanish, then through French and Louisiana Creole. They discuss the history of...

Kyle and Emily get to work at their favorite side hustle, separating “work” from “bywork” and unpacking the meaning and origin of the word parergon. This word might sound like a mouthful, but our hosts begin by comparing it side by side with more familiar words like parallel, parasite, ergonomic, and paragon. Kyle then takes Emily through parergon’s various meanings. Like that beloved hobby you do...

This week, Emily and Kyle get their vacation time approved and finally take that holiday to France, exploring the meaning and origin of the word congé along the way. Our hosts trace this word from modern day France all the way back to Ancient Rome, talking about sick leave, travel, and even squeezing in the history of the word commute! They also take a few linguistic detours, in which Emily notes...

Kyle and Emily look at the meaning and origin of vignette, a word which gives them snapshots of life in everything from illuminated manuscripts to early photography, and from book illustrations to theatrical tableaus. This word starts as nothing more than a small and humble vine. However, it wound its way into the world of illustrated manuscripts, early printing, and wood engraving. Our hosts disc...

Emily and Kyle put on their warmest coats and travel up North, braving cold weather and accent challenges to discuss the meaning and origin of the word nesh. This cozy little word takes our hosts on a journey through several definitions, encompassing all things soft, gentle, and dainty. They talk about the impressive versatility of old-timey words, Emily reveals the wide reach of Germanic roots, a...

Kyle and Emily brave the terrifying, technical world of math, and get to know a wonderful wizard of a man along the way, as they discuss the meaning and origin of logarithmotechny. Our hosts break down this impressive word into some familiar parts. Then, taking a break from English class, they move on to algebra. Don’t worry; there’s not too many numbers today! Just enough that Kyle can reacquaint...

Emily and Kyle look at some whimsical poems and delightful nonsense, as they try--perhaps in vain--to ascertain the meaning and origin of the word runcible. It’s revealed that this word isn’t exactly a word, though it certainly looks like one. Emily recalls a cozy, if silly, bit of poetry from her childhood. Kyle learns of a must-see opera prequel of “The Owl and the Pussycat”. And Edward Lear use...

Kyle and Emily wax nostalgic, poetic, and wode over a deceptively familiar word, looking through Middle English and modern fantasy for the history of the word wroth. This word bears striking similarity to wrath, and at least a dozen other words. Kyle unpacks the etymological reasons why. He might’ve been a little angry at having to parse through so much Proto-Germanic, but Emily delights at the ma...

Emily and Kyle get away from the hustle and bustle, and take a linguistic drive to the countryside--discussing suburbs, cemeteries, and the history of the word exurb. Our hosts begin by finding the origins of the exurbs, both as a word and as an extension of the city. They talk about the urbane ancient Romans, the suburbs of Gomorrah, and the advent of the rural cemetery. Thankfully, the exurban r...

In this very special guest episode, Kyle, Emily, and Seth are all joined by author Gabe Henry who’s been walking in the particularly large shoes of Teddy Roosevelt lately with the recent release of his book Enough is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell . In Enough is Enuf, Henry explores hundreds of years of spelling reform efforts as led by the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Mark...

Kyle and Emily are embroiled once more in Seth’s conjurations of the Lexiconicon when he introduces them to this week’s word: bizarro. Seth traces this word’s tangled roots from French to Italian to Spanish (and maybe Basque?) only as a courtesy to what lies ahead. Summoning linguists Parkvall and Androutsopoulos, Seth reveals the “O-word taxonomy”—sharing everything from agentive weirdos and apoc...

Kyle really gets Emily itching for a word this week, but don’t worry, it’s probably just formication . From medieval pustules to meth mites, this week's word scurries through centuries of medical language and insect-inspired metaphors. Kyle takes us through the Latin root formīca and the many creepy-crawly terms it spawned, while exploring the fine line between a nerve impulse and a full-blown...

Emily and Kyle plumb the depths this week—literally and linguistically—as they explore the word aphotic and the eerie world it describes beneath the ocean’s surface. From Greek roots to Victorian bacteria reports, our hosts trace the word’s journey into scientific language, uncovering how aphotic came to define a zone of the deep sea. Emily describes the disinfectant powers of sunlight, and sheds...

Emily and Kyle are joined this week by Ann B. Friedman, founder of Planet Word, a museum in Washington, D.C. dedicated to the language arts. Planet Word, located in the historic Franklin School building in Washington, D.C., transforms the fascinating world of language arts into something interactive, engaging, and universally enjoyable. From a karaoke lounge celebrating the art of songwriting, to...

Kyle and Emily crack open a cold soda and go fishing with Hagrid. And if that sounded like absolute nonsense, then boy are you in for a treat with this history of the word codswallop. This slang word takes our hosts down strange and disparate paths, though the strangest of all is just how recent this word’s origin might be. Kyle begins at a brewery, talking about a bottle with a hidden prize insid...

Emily and Kyle dig into a word which is anything but lacking. Both their appetites and their minds will be well sated by this exploration of the word jejune. Examining this word’s earliest roots, our hosts chat about sacrifice in Ancient Rome, a fasting ritual inherited from Ancient Greece, and what is certainly the best synonym for breakfast. And, speaking of mealtime, jejune shows its versatilit...

Kyle and Emily sit down this week with the founder of the Online Etymology Dictionary ( https://www.etymonline.com ) and hesitant word wizard himself Doug Harper. Harper takes our hosts through the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of compiling one of the most exhaustive etymology resources on the internet, one which got its sea legs during the genesis of the virtual public square. While expounding o...

Kyle and Emily warm up their vocal chords and join the church choir, as they discuss the history of a vexingly vowel-laden word, euouae. Our hosts look at the history of everyone’s favorite tunes, Gregorian chants! They discover what a little bird told Pope Gregory I, learn what little phrase sneaks between psalms and hymns in a Catholic mass, and reveal what truly maniacal way it was abbreviated....

This week, linguistic buccaneers Emily and Kyle tackle that age-old question--why is the rum always gone?--and along the way explore the history of the word rover. Not only does this episode uncover a lost definition of rover, but it’s also chock full of other pirate words! Emily discusses the origin of some words we all know, like booty and buccaneer. But Kyle also discovers some words we didn’t...

Lovers of dad jokes and witty insults, tune in! Kyle and Emily dig into some punny humor of the highest caliber, and explore the history of the word witham. This episode’s journey begins with a simple jab, “born at Little Witham”, a textbook example of British wit. Our hosts aren’t sure from which English village this phrase springs--but that may be for the best, as it’s not the most complimentary...

This week, Emily and Kyle are digging into all the ‘write’ stuff. They discuss flash language, begging letters, and the history of the word scrieve. Our hosts start in the wide world of writing, in contexts varying from beloved Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson to the tedious work of a scribe. However, the once-innocent scrieve soon becomes the less savory screeve, and leads us on a trip to t...

Kyle and Emily are talking about what is perhaps the most complicated part of worldbuilding for sci fi and fantasy, as they unpack the etymology and history of the word glossopoeia. This episode’s all about the nerdiest kind of wordplay, made-up languages. And not just the ones that appear in your favorite franchises like Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Game of Thrones. Languages like Esperanto,...

Emily and Kyle get in the middle of the legal world and discover who will get a moiety of Kyle’s assets when he’s bought the farm. In this episode, Emily uncovers the connections between social media and the paranormal, Kyle splits up his assets for both Alice AND Agnes, and the pair learn how the word expanded from law to chemistry and cultural anthropology. Before the close, our trusty hosts bru...

Kyle and Emily flop down for a quick snooze, but before they drift off to sleep they discuss the meaning and history of the word flophouse. Our hosts are talking about the lives of (and distinctions between) tramps, vagabonds, and the homeless. Kyle discusses the effects that the Civil War and the Great Depression had on homelessness in America, and Emily learns how the first transcontinental rail...

This weeks’ word is truly a work of art! Emily and Kyle discuss grand performances, the realities of artist life, and how to improve their next pitch; as they dig into the myriad meanings of the word magnoperate. Our hosts talk about great works, in all senses of those words. Magnoperate is a decidedly aspirational word--describing everything from a scientist’s greatest research, to a composer’s g...