The Brian Lehrer Show Your Family's 'Secret Language' Part Two
Oct 6, 2025
Discover the whimsical world of 'familects,' unique words families create that spark nostalgia and laughter. Listeners share gems like 'snoodle,' referring to the skin between the nostrils, and 'skinny finger,' a term for a tiny dessert slice. Explore delightful expressions such as 'bougie' for something soft and 'expoculated' as a hilarious euphemism for passing gas. Each story showcases the quirky, beautiful bond formed through language—a joyful reminder of family dynamics and the innocent creativity of childhood.
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Families Create Private Dialects
- Families often invent private vocabularies called 'familects' that outsiders don't understand.
- Linguists note many familect words originate from child mispronunciations or inventions that stick.
Hollishing: The Clean-Sheet Feeling
- Olivia's family uses 'hollishing' for the pleasure of getting into clean, comfy sheets.
- The word captures a specific sensory feeling that became a family staple.
Snoodle: A Playful Anatomy Word
- Michael in Brooklyn calls the area between nostrils and top lip a 'snoodle.'
- The family playfully pairs that with 'noodle' in a punny anatomical familect.