Words You Should Know

How come we say “how come”? It’s another example of a longer phrase that’s been tightened over the centuries. And how is 2020 affecting threatened indigenous languages? We'll dive into all this and more.

Find out the latest in writing and communications news and more in Episode #32 of The "Words You Should Know" podcast.

The etymologies of "poet," "manifesto," and "essay" can be fascinating, and they can also absolutely bring up shout-outs to Jerry Maguire.

Find out the latest in writing and communications news and more in Episode #31 of The "Words You Should Know" podcast.

Some say that until recently, the closest we had to the remnants of Shakespearean English were in the communities of the Appalachian mountains in the United States. But Shakespearean English? Is this true? And how is this question of linguistics related to space travel and missions to Mars?

Find out in Episode #30 of The "Words You Should Know" podcast.

Welcome to the new iteration of The Words You Should Know podcast. Yes, we’re picking up where we left off. We’ll talk English language trivia, and I’ll challenge your understanding of the words you use every day. But we’re also going to talk about language in the news, how it affects us, how people respond to its evolution, and where questions of usage come into play in real people’s lives.

Words matter. And it’s time to pick back up this essential conversation.

Words. Language. Communication. You've got this.

Welcome to the new iteration of The Words You Should Know podcast. Yes, we’re picking up where we left off. We’ll talk English language trivia, and I’ll challenge your understanding of the words you use every day. But we’re also going to talk about language in the news, how it affects us, how people respond to its evolution, and where questions of usage come into play in real people’s lives.

Words matter. And it’s time to pick back up this essential conversation.

Words. Language. Communication. You've got this.

Do you know what’s been bugging me for an awfully long time? Why do we, in America, call soccer “soccer”? Why isn’t it football, as the sport is called throughout most of the rest of the world? "Football" makes sense. In soccer, you’re using your feet. In American football, there’s minimal kicking involved. Do the kickers and punters get all the attention? Hardly. So what’s up with that?

Let me ask this, who first used the word “soccer”? Was it someone in England or the United States?

And "football," of course, is hardly the only word that stems from a body part. "Foot" linked with "ball" is pretty self-explanatory. A few others a bit more surprising in this category include "gargoyle," "hysteria," "genuine," and "handsome." I can't help myself. I have to share a bit more.

This is the "Words You Should Know" podcast, Season 3: Episode 6. Words. Language. Communication. You've got this.

Where Do We Get the Word "Hipster"? One of the earliest known uses of it is an article in the New York Tribune complaining about the drinkers in New York hotel dining rooms around the start of Prohibition. Why were they called “hipsters”? Because of the flasks hidden on their hips, of course! It makes perfect sense. I’m not sure it will work with skinny jeans, though...

Some words are cooler than cool, and this is one of them. Hipster. And is it related to hippie?

Hip hip hooray. Hip. Hep. Let’s get excited, folks. This is the "Words You Should Know" podcast, Season 3: Episode 5. Words. Language. Communication. You've got this.

Norrie Epstein once said, “The best writing advice I ever received: facts are eloquent.” Oh how much I love this statement. Sometimes, these facts are world changing. Sometimes, these facts are word-changing—or, at least in how you perceive certain uses of language.

Today’s question for you is what’s the origin of “silhouette”? And if you’re doing something "piecemeal," how do you spell that? From Old English to the Seven Years War, there are all sorts of language truths to discover. Let’s work on using our words well. Perhaps today, it starts with spelling. Tomorrow, who knows?

This is the "Words You Should Know" podcast, Season 3: Episode 4. Words. Language. Communication. You've got this.

The Irish author Samuel Beckett once wrote, “Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” I love this idea, in talking about communication skills as well as so many other areas of life.

Today’s question for you is what’s the Latin origin of the word “compete”? Is it to be the best? Is to work hard? Is it to strive together? Is it the physical collision of two bodies? Only one of those is correct. Think on that.

And while we’re thinking about competition, consider the word (or should I say words?) "lineup" and "line up." Kindergartners line up with their classmates. A football team’s lineup is set before the game begins (and hopefully if you’re playing fantasy football, yours is too). It’s one of those words that baffles. People tend to have their thumbs hovering over that space bar, quivering, nervous about that space or no space, or hyphen! Yes, that’s it, hyphen! No, wait, it’s just one word… I get it. It’s the little things that are sometimes never explained.

And since we’re talking about competitions and lineups today, let’s also turn to the fascinating background of the word "boycott." Have you ever boycotted something? Do you know where this word came from?

This is the "Words You Should Know" podcast, Season 3: Episode 3. Words. Language. Communication. You've got this.

Are grammar skills a rite/right of passage? Perhaps. Should you have bragging rights/rites about it? You're better than that, aren't you, folks? My biggest question here, though, is how do you spell those "rights" and "rites"? "Rite" or "right" of passage? Bragging "rights" or "rites"?

And let’s get a bit language nostalgic and take a walk down word memory lane. I recently stumbled on an amazing resource from the American Dialect Society that recorded most popular words of the year—words and phrases that filled American pop culture, words most likely to succeed, words that were the most unnecessary, and more—for every year between 1990 and 2018. These are fascinating.

Plus, from "#humblebrag," 2011's contender, to those bragging rights/rites, “brag” as an English word does have stories of its own. Brag. Braggarts. Braggadocio. There's so much to explore here. Who's ready to dive in?

This is the "Words You Should Know" podcast, Season 3: Episode 2. Words. Language. Communication. You've got this.