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.
351
The Manic Pixie and the Magical Negro
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to arts critic Nathan Rabin and journalist Christopher John Farley about the phrases they coined to identify two of Hollywood's most pernicious tropes.
30 min
352
LinguaFile I | Discombobulate
Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield discuss a mystery word or phrase with Vocabulary.com executive producer Ben Zimmer.
18 min
353
Lexicon Valley No. 38: Fisherman's Whorf
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to Columbia University professor John McWhorter about his new book, The Language Hoax.
34 min
354
Lexicon Valley No. 37: Legislating Language
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss four legal cases in which the dictionary played a crucial part.
31 min
355
Lexicon Valley No. 36: The Dude Abides
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the early history of the word "dude."
35 min
356
Lexicon Valley No. 35: Learning to Say No
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the many meanings of a child's "no."
25 min
357
Lexicon Valley No. 34: Ask Not Who Wrote "Ask Not"
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss JFK's Inaugural Address with Richard Tofel, author of Sounding the Trumpet.
29 min
358
Lexicon Valley No. 33: The End of Ambiguity
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk to linguist Arika Okrent about the most logical language ever invented.
24 min
359
Lexicon Valley: Special Announcement
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo announce the return of Lexicon Valley. Yay!
0 min
360
Lexicon Valley No. 32: The Burden of Being Right
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the irresistible pull of language pedantry.
34 min
361
Lexicon Valley No. 31: Name That Tone
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the relationship between tonal languages and musical acuity.
27 min
362
Lexicon Valley No. 30: Eject at High Altitude
Mike Vuolo talks with an anthropological linguist about the influence geography might have on speech.
19 min
363
Lexicon Valley #29: 30 Million By Four
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the importance of talking to your child.
28 min
364
Lexicon Valley #28: A Brief History of Swearing
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss curse words old and new with author Melissa Mohr.
24 min
365
Lexicon Valley #27: Accentuate the Positive
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the seemingly paradoxical phrase "yeah-no."
25 min
366
Special Announcement
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo announce a new run of Lexicon Valley episodes.
0 min
367
Special Announcement
Lexicon Valley will be back with a run of all-new episodes in the spring.
1 min
368
Lexicon Valley #26: The Fawth Flaw, Part II
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss R-dropping and the New York accent.
29 min
369
Lexicon Valley #25: The Fawth Flaw
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss a defining feature of the classic New York accent.
22 min
370
Lexicon Valley #24: Get Your Creak On
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss creaky voice.
26 min
371
Lexicon Valley #23: Good Is Up
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss metaphor and the "fiscal cliff."
27 min
372
Lexicon Valley #22: Talking Leaves and Lightnin...
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the Cherokee syllabary.
28 min
373
Lexicon Valley #21: Undocumented Illegals
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss the debate over "illegal" versus "undocumented" at the heart of U.S. immigration policy.
32 min
374
Lexicon Valley #20: Death to Potatoes
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo speak with Nataly Kelly, coauthor of Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World.
32 min
375
Lexicon Valley #19: Here's to You Mrs. Malaprop
Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo discuss what malapropisms might reveal about the way we organize our mental dictionary.
30 min