I Hate Talking

Send us Fan Mail  In episode 85 of I Hate Talking, the hosts open with a milestone announcement: November marked their most downloaded month since the podcast launched, second only to their debut month. Listeners are encouraged to catch early episodes and share feedback—preferably with a dose of kindness or even pure praise! The word of the episode is "regatta," inspired by the recent Cu...

Send us Fan Mail  Episode 84 explores Dictionary.com's controversial 2025 "Word of the Year"—the number —and the explosion of meme culture in everyday language. The hosts debate whether numerals can truly count as words, and dissect what it means for a dictionary to embrace viral Gen Alpha fads as legitimate lexicon. They unpack the origin of 67 as slang: from a rapper's lyric...

Send us Fan Mail  In Episode 83 of I Hate Talking, the hosts dive into the concept of "nostalgia," sparked by a listener suggestion and a memorable quote: "Nostalgia is just a longing for a time we know we can survive." The duo debates the merits and shortcomings of this definition, reflecting on whether nostalgia is more about overcoming hardships or an emotional longing for t...

Send us Fan Mail   In Episode 82, the hosts take a listener suggestion and spotlight the word fetid—a recent Wordle answer—and trace its meaning, origins, and less obvious relatives. The hosts discuss both their Wordle strategies, starter words, and the minor heartbreaks and little victories that come with daily word games, before diving into vocabulary. They explain that fetid means “having a hea...

Send us Fan Mail  In this richly layered episode, the hosts follow up on unanswered questions from last week’s exploration of blue . They start by confirming what Russians actually call their beloved “Blue” cats—Синий русский ( Siniy russkiy )—and dive into why Puritan “blue laws” might have literally come from blue paper or blue clothing. From there, the couple unpacks theories on how “blue” came...

Send us Fan Mail  Overview: An unexpectedly multifaceted English word examined through color, emotion, temperature, and cultural usage—plus comparisons to Russian and historical linguistics. Why it came up: The hosts had recently discussed Russian—the language’s treatment of blue inspired today’s topic. Linguistic Insight: Russian Words for “Blue” Russian distinguishes light and dark blue with two...

Send us Fan Mail  Word of the Episode: Timidity Definition (Oxford): Lack of courage or confidence. Usage: More common historically (esp. 1800s), in decline until a slight uptick since 2019—possibly linked to its appearance in modern Bible translations (e.g., NLT). Example usage: “She believes everyone can overcome their timidity.” Etymology: From Latin timidus (“fearful”) ← timere (“to fear”). Re...

Send us Fan Mail   Word of the Episode: Polemical Definition (Oxford): Expressing or constituting a strong critical attack or controversial opinion. Etymology: From Greek polemos (“war”) → polemikós (“warlike/hostile”). Discussion: Related to debate and controversy, not to Ptolemaic (Claudius Ptolemy’s geocentric astronomy). Hosts joked about confusing the two since they sound similar, imagining a...

Send us Fan Mail   Words of the Episode: Morals vs. Morale Morals Definition: Standards of behavior or principles of right/wrong by which a person lives; also lessons drawn from stories. Etymology: From Latin mos/moris → morales → moralia (used by St. Gregory in his exposition on Job) → Middle English. Can be good or bad, but always refers to a guiding code. Morale Definition: Confidence, discipli...

Send us Fan Mail  Links to materials mentioned in the episode: Link to book by Avi Loeb: Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth . Link to the paper co-authored by Avi Loeb: Is the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Alien Technology? (PDF) Word(s) of the Episode ʻOumuamua Hawaiian name for the first observed interstellar object (2017). Meaning: “A messenger from afar arriving f...

Send us Fan Mail   Episode Milestone Hosts note that Episode 75 feels like a meaningful number (cool, but not as significant as 60 was for them). Next true milestone will be Episode 100, expected in ~25 weeks. Word of the Episode: Pareto (Pareto Principle) Definition: The Pareto Principle or 80/20 rule: roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes . History: Coined by Italian economist Wilf...

Send us Fan Mail  Word of the Episode: Pontificate Hosts’ Initial Guess: They believed it meant to think deeply to arrive at a decision . They even associated it with careful contemplation and resolution. Actual Definition (Oxford Languages): To express one’s opinions in an annoyingly pompous or dogmatic way. Far from quiet reflection—it's about pompous expression . Negative connotation, clos...

Send us Fan Mail  Word of the Episode: Libfix Definition: A “libfix” is a liberated suffix —when part of a word (often mistaken as a suffix) gets reanalyzed and reused as a suffix for other words. Examples: -gate (from Watergate ): now used to mean “scandal” (e.g., Pizzagate, Elsagate). -core (from hardcore ): extended to music genres or aesthetics (metalcore, cottagecore, tropicore in Animal Cros...

Send us Fan Mail  Word of the Episode: Penitent Usage: Came up while studying Psalm 6 (one of the “penitential psalms”). Common Associations: Hosts thought it related to humility, kneeling, or seeking forgiveness. One recalled Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where the “penitent man kneels before God.” Also connected to penance . Dictionary Definition: Feeling or showing sorrow/regret for wrong...

Send us Fan Mail  This episode is Part 1 of the Chicago recap. Find Part 1 in episode 70 last week. Word of the Episode: Porta Potty Definition: A portable, temporary toilet facility. Etymology: “Porta Potty” comes from portable potty , but its popularization is linked to a brand name, much like Kleenex. “Potty” derives from “pot” (as in chamber pot ) with the diminutive suffix “-y/-ie.” In other...

Send us Fan Mail  This episode is part 1 of the Chicago recap; it will continue in the next episode, including the promised description of the "Taj Mahal of porta potties" and covering the remaining tourist adventures. Word of the Episode: Flabbergast The hosts dive into the word "flabbergast," inspired by previous use when describing the "Coldplay incident." They sha...

Send us Fan Mail  Theme & Word of the Episode: The episode focuses on the word "oldie," exploring its definition, history, and how its meaning has shifted over time, especially in the context of music. Origin and Evolution: "Oldie" combines "old" with the suffix "-ie," recorded first in 1874 to describe an old person. By the 1940s, it expanded to refer t...

Send us Fan Mail   Special behind the scenes bonus episode: The hosts discuss how to represent a rewind sound (onomatopoeia). They debate whether to cut out a portion of the recording or continue, and ultimately decide to keep the candid moment because it's funny, then agree to continue from where they left off. Support the show --- Any views expressed on this podcast are those solely of the...

Send us Fan Mail  The hosts continue their discussion on the word "onomatopoeia," elaborating on its definition (words that imitate sounds, like "splash" or "ping") and etymology (from Greek meaning "name making"), and exploring examples of onomatopoeia, especially in animal and bird names. They highlight how different languages create onomatopoeia different...

Send us Fan Mail  The Word of the Episode: "Bloop" "Bloop" Origins and Mysteries: The episode opens with a discussion about the word "bloop," notable in the hosts' family for its mysterious oceanic association. The "bloop" refers to an ultra-low-frequency underwater sound detected in 1997 by two hydrophones 5,000 miles apart. It initially fueled specula...

Send us Fan Mail  Episode 66 of "I Hate Talking" shifts to a more lighthearted tone after two serious episodes, focusing on the word "Rochambeau," which is another name for the game rock-paper-scissors. The hosts discuss the debated origins of the term. One popular but incorrect urban legend claims that a French general named Rochambeau used the game to make battlefield decisio...

Send us Fan Mail  Episode 65 of "I Hate Talking" centers on the word "cogitate" and continues the discussion about parallel play. The hosts introduce and explore the word "cogitate," which means to think deeply about something, tracing its Latin roots and comparing it with "meditate." They note that while both words involve deep thought, "cogitate"...

Send us Fan Mail  The hosts discuss the concept of "parallel play," ultimately choosing it over other potential topics like "predictive programming" or "apse" for this episode. Definition and Origins: Parallel play originally describes a stage in child development where children play side by side without direct interaction, as a precursor to cooperative play. The term...

Send us Fan Mail  Example #1: Person Standing Over Edge of A Cliff Seen In Background of One Photo but Not Another . Example #2: My family member went on a hike – but someone (or something) else showed up in her photo . The Pareidolia episode: Pareidolia is the tendency to perceive familiar patterns, especially faces, in random or ambiguous images and objects. Common examples include seeing faces...

Send us Fan Mail  Main Topic: The Word "Gangbusters" The episode centers on the meaning, usage, and origin of the word "gangbusters," prompted by a listener request. The hosts initially discuss their own understanding, associating "gangbusters" with something that is very successful, energetic, or goes "all out." Dictionary definitions are referenced: (1) A...