In this episode of Very Bad Words, Matt talks about A-holes with UC Berkeley Linguist and author of the book, Ascent of the A-Word, Geoffrey Nunberg. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15: What an A-hole!

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, and historians to explore these words and their cultural significance. From diving into specific bad words to exploring what language has the “worst curses”, Matt weaves personal stories and interviews to help shed light on the power of very bad words. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

42: The N-Word

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

41: Constructed Curses in Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Matt talks to Marc Okrand about cursing in Klingon. The fictional Star Trek language that has become nearly as popular as the franchise itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

40: Minicast - Conversational Klingon

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

39: Euphemisms

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15: What an A-hole!

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