The Curious Case of a Conspiratorial Coinage

Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo talk about a mystery word or phrase with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.

Lexicon Valley is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a new video learning service with more than 5,000 lectures. As a member of The Great Courses Plus, you can watch as many lectures as you want, anytime, anywhere, on any device. For a limited time, Lexicon Valley listeners can watch The Fundamentals of Photography for free by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/lexicon.

And by Headspace. If you've ever been curious about meditation or would like to reacquaint yourself with the practice, then try the Take 10 program. It's guided meditation for 10 days—10 minutes a day—absolutely free. Give it a try at Headspace.com/lexicon.

Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus.

Twitter: @lexiconvalley

Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley

Email: lexiconvalley@slate.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices