Slate Debates
A feed from the Slate podcast network featuring episodes with enlightening conversations, opposing views, and plenty of healthy disputes. You'll get a curated selection of episodes from programs like What Next, The Waves, and the Political Gabfest, with deep discussions that go beyond point-counterpoint and shed light on the issues that matter most.
251
A Drone, a Bell, and a Suffix
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a piece of old American slang with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
28 min
252
Seven Centuries of F--ks
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to Jesse Sheidlower, author of The F-Word, about a recent discovery in the history of one our most enduring expletives.
31 min
253
An Ambitious Enterprise, Quixotic and Unavailing
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
30 min
254
How New York Became the Big Apple
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the true story behind the most famous municipal nickname.
22 min
255
Why Do Latin Americans Call English Speakers Gr...
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the origin of a Spanish-language pejorative with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
33 min
256
What Do You Mean What Is It Like?
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss "A literary history of the strange expression 'what is it like?'"—an article by lexicographer Anne Seaton.
29 min
257
LinguaFile XIV | Heebie Jeebies
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
37 min
258
What's the Deal with Translating Seinfeld?
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to journalist Jennifer Keishin Armstrong about the classic American sitcom Seinfeld and why it falls flat in other cultures and languages.
41 min
259
LinguaFile XIII | Bozo
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
24 min
260
The Pollyanna Hypothesis
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss what it means that language has a "positivity bias."
46 min
261
LinguaFile XII | Kibitz
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
37 min
262
M'athchomaroon, Zhey Lajak Vezhven!
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to conlanger David J. Peterson about the art and craft of creating languages for Game of Thrones.
41 min
263
LinguaFile XI | Seersucker
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the origin of the word "seersucker" with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
32 min
264
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo don't know nuthin' about the double negative.
37 min
265
LinguaFile X | Pumpernickel
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the origin of the word "pumpernickel" with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
35 min
266
And Infinitum
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss whether "try and" is an acceptable substitute for "try to."
36 min
267
LinguaFile IX | Carnival
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the origin of the word "carnival" with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
26 min
268
Sex Workers
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the authoress, the usherette, and the editrix with Anne Curzan, the lady professor.
32 min
269
LinguaFile VIII | Quiz
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
24 min
270
The Many Lives of Anna Karenina
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to journalist and author Masha Gessen about translating Tolstoy.
36 min
271
LinguaFile VII | Cockamamie
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
31 min
272
Exposure to Vape Culture
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo are joined by Peter Sokolowski of Merriam-Webster, Katherine Martin of Oxford University Press, Jane Solomon of Dictionary.com, and Erin McKean of Wordnik.com to discuss their respective Words of the Year.
48 min
273
LinguaFile VI | Grog
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
25 min
274
What Does It Mean to Sound Gay?
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to speech scientist Benjamin Munson about the "gay voice."
36 min
275
LinguaFile V | Get One's Goat
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.
33 min