Very Bad Words

By Matt Fidler

As long as there’s been language, there have been forbidden words. What gives these words their power? Why are they considered “bad”? Producer and Host, Matt Fidler, reaches out to experts, linguists,... more

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FAQs about Very Bad Words:

How many episodes does Very Bad Words have?

The podcast currently has 42 episodes available.

Very Bad Words episodes:

June 27, 2018 42: The N-Word
Guest Producer Stephanie Billman helps guide us through the feelings, emotions, and history of the most violent, loaded word in the English lexicon, The N-Word. With guests Dr. Neil Lester, Dr. David Pilgrim, Marcie Brown, Malik Crumpler, Dardalie Brooks and Ernie Mendoza
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42min
June 20, 2018 41: Constructed Curses in Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Nerf-herder? Frack? Farking Zarquon? Guest producers Forrest Phillips and Emily Block guide us through cursing in fictional Worlds. Special guests include Marc Okrand - creator of Star Trek’s Klingon language, David J. Peterson - creator of Game of Thrones Dothraki language, and host of the Imaginary Worlds podcast, Eric Molinsky.
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30min
June 13, 2018 40: Minicast - Conversational Klingon
Matt talks to Marc Okrand about cursing in Klingon. The fictional Star Trek language that has become nearly as popular as the franchise itself.
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5min
June 06, 2018 39: Euphemisms
Certain topics in our society aren’t considered proper to talk about. To make it easier to talk about such sensitive subjects, we have invented terms that dance around the issues, instead of facing them directly.
Join me and guests, Steven Pinker, Phyllis Sommer and Kate Burridge as we dig into euphemisms.

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32min
May 30, 2018 38: Minicast - The "D" Word
In this week's minicast, Matt reflects on a death that is close to him and how we use or don't use words about "dead". We talk a little with Rabbi Physllis Sommer to help explain.
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7min
May 23, 2018 37: The Poo List
Are you allowed to play swear words in scrabble? And if you really can, why aren’t they listed in the official scrabble player’s dictionary? Competitive scrabble players Stephan Fatsis and Brian Richgrubber tell us how it happened and why this is important in the competitive scrabble world.
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31min
May 16, 2018 36: Minicast - The Accepted Slur
In this minicast, Matt ponders why it's not okay to use the phrase, "Jew them down" ,but it's okay to say, "I've been gypped". Both words are considered offensive in their communities, but even people that we don't expect still use the word "gyp". We get some help from Romedia Foundation's executive director Katalin Barsony in the below clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmOyG1yz9G8
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7min
May 09, 2018 35: George Carlin's Last Words
On this episode of Very Bad Words, we put the last four words on George Carlin’s list on trial. Are these two 4-letter words, and two compound unequivocally indecent under all circumstances? With dirty words educator and linguist, Randall Eggert, and radio veteran, Ken Freedman
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28min
May 02, 2018 34: Minicast - An American Comic in London
George Carlin laid out the 7 words that can never be said on television, but of course he meant, American Television. In today’s minicast, Matt talks to British linguist, Damien Hall, to find out if those words are just as taboo in Great Britain.
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8min
April 25, 2018 33: Yo Mama!
On this episode of Very Bad Words, we are talking about Yo Mama! We bring in producer Joaquin Cotler and his interview with blues singer and historian Gaye Adegbalola to explore the connection of the phrase “Yo Mama” to the classic dirty blues song "The Dirty Dozen".
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23min

FAQs about Very Bad Words:

How many episodes does Very Bad Words have?

The podcast currently has 42 episodes available.