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
What's the Deal with Eleven?
John McWhorter on the etymology and pronunciation of English numbers.
42 min
252
There Are Two N-Words
Like gangster and gangsta, nigger and nigga have become two distinct words.
32 min
253
The Thing Is Is
The problem is, is that we sometimes say "is" twice. Why?
31 min
254
An Accidental Sanctity
Biblical scholar Mark Ward discusses his forthcoming book, Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible.
31 min
255
Thanksgiving Misnomers
Turkey? Pumpkin? Squash? They're all mistakes.
33 min
256
Sometimes Just Because
Language is often at the mercy of pure chance.
29 min
257
Against Strunk & White
It's time to permanently shelve the Elements of Style.
29 min
258
Whence Baby Mama?
John McWhorter answers questions from Lexicon Valley listeners.
34 min
259
Este No Es Parqueo
After parking in front of a garage, John received a note written in Spanish.
33 min
260
From Pidgins to Creoles
John McWhorter discusses the process by which some new languages are born.
34 min
261
Do Languages Simplify Over Time?
Old English was arguably more complicated than Modern English. Is that true of all languages?
28 min
262
Did Cavebabies Say Mama and Papa?
Languages across the world developed similar words for "mom" and "dad." How is that possible?
28 min
263
New Life for Dying Languages
The Language Conservancy's Wil Meya discusses the effort to revive Native American languages.
34 min
264
In the Negative
The history and evolution of "no" and "not."
28 min
265
Why Do Languages Have Contractions?
John McWhorter explains why we love shrinkage.
32 min
266
The Incredible Lightness of Being
John McWhorter considers the eccentric irregularity of the verb "to be."
26 min
267
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
268
Mining Graffiti for Slang
John McWhorter talks to Ben Zimmer about the Vietnam Graffiti Project and other slangy topics.
28 min
269
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
270
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
271
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
272
Heyo, Let's Talk About Hamilton
John McWhorter talks to linguist Neal Whitman about the mash-up of "hey" and "yo."
27 min
273
Earlier American English—More Profane, Parochia...
John McWhorter time travels to 1930 and eavesdrops on American English.
29 min
274
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
275
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