Kyle and Emily have a traitor in their midst, and his name is Quisling. They’ll talk about a decidedly terrible politician, a quagmire of Q words, and a word for all betrayers great and small.

This eponym takes us back to World War II, and unfortunately straight to the man dubbed Norwegian Hitler. Our hosts discuss how this WW2 traitor became a household name, why the name itself feels so satisfying, and how the origin of this name might relate to a beloved theater candy.

Kyle sheds some light about the words quiz and quizzical, surprisingly unrelated to each other and to quisling. The questionable Q words don’t stop there, as Emily learns about quisle, quisler, and quislingize. And the pair look at traitors in history, literature, and the modern day.

Join us every week as we explore the fascinating origins and meanings of words, uncovering the hidden stories behind language and how it evolves over time, for language enthusiasts and etymology buffs alike.

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Produced by Seth Gliksman, Kyle Imperatore, and Emily Moyers

Main theme and accompanying themes by Kyle Imperatore