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
There Are Two N-Words
Like gangster and gangsta, nigger and nigga have become two distinct words.
32 min
252
The Thing Is Is
The problem is, is that we sometimes say "is" twice. Why?
31 min
253
An Accidental Sanctity
Biblical scholar Mark Ward discusses his forthcoming book, Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible.
31 min
254
Thanksgiving Misnomers
Turkey? Pumpkin? Squash? They're all mistakes.
33 min
255
Sometimes Just Because
Language is often at the mercy of pure chance.
29 min
256
Against Strunk & White
It's time to permanently shelve the Elements of Style.
29 min
257
Whence Baby Mama?
John McWhorter answers questions from Lexicon Valley listeners.
34 min
258
Este No Es Parqueo
After parking in front of a garage, John received a note written in Spanish.
33 min
259
From Pidgins to Creoles
John McWhorter discusses the process by which some new languages are born.
34 min
260
Do Languages Simplify Over Time?
Old English was arguably more complicated than Modern English. Is that true of all languages?
28 min
261
Did Cavebabies Say Mama and Papa?
Languages across the world developed similar words for "mom" and "dad." How is that possible?
28 min
262
New Life for Dying Languages
The Language Conservancy's Wil Meya discusses the effort to revive Native American languages.
34 min
263
In the Negative
The history and evolution of "no" and "not."
28 min
264
Why Do Languages Have Contractions?
John McWhorter explains why we love shrinkage.
32 min
265
The Incredible Lightness of Being
John McWhorter considers the eccentric irregularity of the verb "to be."
26 min
266
Is There a Jewish Way of Talking?
John McWhorter interrupts the hosts of Unorthodox to discuss hallmarks and stereotypes of Jewish communication style.
35 min
267
Mining Graffiti for Slang
John McWhorter talks to Ben Zimmer about the Vietnam Graffiti Project and other slangy topics.
28 min
268
That's Not a Word, Is It?
John McWhorter discusses the near-futile impulse to determine what is, and what is not, a word.
27 min
269
The Language of Female Friendships
John McWhorter discusses communication styles with linguist Deborah Tannen, author of You're the Only One I Can Tell: Inside the Language of Women's Friendships.
32 min
270
The Euphemism Treadmill
John McWhorter on the evolution from "crippled" to "handicapped" to "differently abled" and why no such term is likely to stick around long.
25 min
271
Heyo, Let's Talk About Hamilton
John McWhorter talks to linguist Neal Whitman about the mash-up of "hey" and "yo."
27 min
272
Earlier American English—More Profane, Parochia...
John McWhorter time travels to 1930 and eavesdrops on American English.
29 min
273
Like, Why Do We Use Like So Much?
John McWhorter talks to sociolinguist Alexandra D'Arcy about the spike in our use of like.
32 min
274
What Had Happened Was Storytelling
John McWhorter discusses the subject of his new book, Talking Back, Talking Black: Truths About America's Lingua Franca.
30 min
275
Why We Stopped Teaching Children How to Read
Mark Seidenberg, author of Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It, discusses the fallout from the so-called reading wars.
29 min