Why do we still dial phones with no dials, roll down windows that don’t roll, and store things in cupboards that hold no cups?
In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore linguistic ghost limbs—words and phrases that outlived the objects they once described. From cupboard, dashboard, and glove box to carbon copy, footage, horsepower, and deadlines, language refuses to let go of the past. These verbal fossils reveal how history lingers in everyday speech through semantic shift, fossilized metaphors, and semantic bleaching.
Then the show heads deep into New England folklore with the chilling legend of the Melon Heads of Connecticut—grotesque figures said to haunt back roads like Velvet Street and the edges of Roosevelt Forest. Are they escaped asylum patients, outcasts turned monsters, or something far darker?
Language is haunted. So are the woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Why do we still dial phones with no dials, roll down windows that don’t roll, and store things in cupboards that hold no cups? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore linguistic ghost limbs—words and phrases that outlived the objects they once described. From cupboard, dashboard, and glove box to carbon copy, footage, horsepower, and deadlines, language refuses to let go of the past. These verbal fossils reveal how history lingers in everyday speech through semantic shift, fossilized metaphors, and semantic bleaching. Then the show heads deep into New England folklore with the chilling legend of the Melon Heads of Connecticut—grotesque figures said to haunt back roads like Velvet Street and the edges of Roosevelt Forest. Are they escaped asylum patients, outcasts turned monsters, or something far darker? Language is haunted. So are the woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do we still dial phones with no dials, roll down windows that don’t roll, and store things in cupboards that hold no cups?
In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore linguistic ghost limbs—words and phrases that outlived the objects they once described. From cupboard, dashboard, and glove box to carbon copy, footage, horsepower, and deadlines, language refuses to let go of the past. These verbal fossils reveal how history lingers in everyday speech through semantic shift, fossilized metaphors, and semantic bleaching.
Then the show heads deep into New England folklore with the chilling legend of the Melon Heads of Connecticut—grotesque figures said to haunt back roads like Velvet Street and the edges of Roosevelt Forest. Are they escaped asylum patients, outcasts turned monsters, or something far darker?
Language is haunted. So are the woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="noopener noreferrer">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Linguistic Ghost Limbs & the Melon Heads of Connecticut

The Webby Award-winning “Box of Oddities" is a podcast that delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries, and from paranormal phenomena to strange cultural practices from around the world. With a focus on oddities, curiosities, and the macabre, each episode is a journey into the unknown, where hosts Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth share their love for unusual stories and inject their humor and commentary. From the strange history of medical practices to chilling true crime stories, to natural (and unnatural) events, "The Box of Oddities" satisfies your thirst for the weird and the unusual, offering an informative and entertaining look into the dark and mysterious corners of our world.
JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC-TV says, "Should you be the type who has an interest in weird stuff, this is a fun thing to allow in your head!" 

“Truth is stranger than fiction, and the Box of Oddities is the strangest of all!” -SLUGGO, SIRIUS XM LITHIUM

“Kat & Jethro wring humor from bizarre, macabre and perplexing places.” -BOSTON MAGAZINE

Comedy

Society & Culture

True Crime

The Webby Award-winning “Box of Oddities" is a podcast that delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries, and from paranormal phenomena to strange cultural practices from around the world. With a focus on oddities, curiosities, and the macabre, each episode is a journey into the unknown, where hosts Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth share their love for unusual stories and inject their humor and commentary. From the strange history of medical practices to chilling true crime stories, to natural (and unnatural) events, "The Box of Oddities" satisfies your thirst for the weird and the unusual, offering an informative and entertaining look into the dark and mysterious corners of our world. JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC-TV says, "Should you be the type who has an interest in weird stuff, this is a fun thing to allow in your head!" “Truth is stranger than fiction, and the Box of Oddities is the strangest of all!” -SLUGGO, SIRIUS XM LITHIUM “Kat & Jethro wring humor from bizarre, macabre and perplexing places.” -BOSTON MAGAZINE

The Webby Award-winning “Box of Oddities" is a podcast that delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries, and from paranormal phenomena to strange cultural practices from around the world. With a focus on oddities, curiosities, and the macabre, each episode is a journey into the unknown, where hosts Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth share their love for unusual stories and inject their humor and commentary. From the strange history of medical practices to chilling true crime stories, to natural (and unnatural) events, "The Box of Oddities" satisfies your thirst for the weird and the unusual, offering an informative and entertaining look into the dark and mysterious corners of our world.
JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC-TV says, "Should you be the type who has an interest in weird stuff, this is a fun thing to allow in your head!"&nbsp;

“Truth is stranger than fiction, and the Box of Oddities is the strangest of all!” -SLUGGO, SIRIUS XM LITHIUM

“Kat &amp; Jethro wring humor from bizarre, macabre and perplexing places.” -BOSTON MAGAZINE

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Linguistic Ghost Limbs & the Melon Heads of Connecticut

Linguistic Ghost Limbs & the Melon Heads of Connecticut

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