Slate Debates

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… host Celeste Headlee introduces Slate’s newest podcast with a question: what if we could argue with each other without hating the results? Hugh Breakey, writer and moral philosopher, thinks it’s possible. He and Celeste discuss the case for arguing with each other on difficult topics, and giving up the idea that every argument needs a winner. It’s not just a good idea, according to Breakey — it’s a moral imperative.Podcast production by Maura CurrieYou can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate’s political and discussion podcast, Hear Me Out, launches March 21. Join host Celeste Headlee and a guest each week for a smart, fair debate on issues that matter. In a nation where many of us have forgotten how to talk to each other, veteran journalist Celeste Headlee has devoted years to reinvigorating the art of civil conversation and debate. Each week on Hear Me Out, she'll invite a thoughtful guest to discuss their controversial perspective on a current issue, and engage in a tough, good-faith dialogue about the merits and drawbacks of their argument. The objective is to challenge conventional wisdom, and serve the intellectually curious new ideas and perspectives without partisan cliches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben take a trip down memory lane and put their knowledge of past guests to the test. They also interview the founder and CEO of Planet Word, Ann Friedman. And finally, we’re taking our final virtual trip, this time to Northern Ireland, for some cinematic wordplay. Thanks for listening and playing along with us! Produced by Jasmine Ellis. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Planet Word Information on Planet Word’s new wordplay adventure, Lexicon Lane Ann Friedman, “From the Founder: Disputes on the Language Front” Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben talk about the difference between a dialect and a language as they revisit a prior conversation about Ukraine. They also interview Will Shortz, crossword puzzle editor at the New York Times, about how he got into the world of puzzles. And finally, our hosts are in the hot seat for a wordplay quiz set by the puzzle master himself. You don’t want to miss this! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus.Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.  Produced by Jasmine Ellis. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Cambridge Language Surveys, “The Slavic Languages” (including Russian, Ukrainian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian) Phillip M. Carter, “Long before shots were fired, a linguistic power struggle was playing out in Ukraine”Information on the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (April 1-3) Register here for the ACPT’s non-competitive virtual event  Ben’s article on how Stephen Sondheim popularized cryptic crosswords in the U.S. Ben, Nicole, and Will compete in Webster’s War of the Words, a fundraiser for the Noah Webster HouseSubscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben talk about the new Siri voices. They also interview Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne, hosts of Lingthusiasm, a podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics. And finally, they put a listener’s anagram skills to the test. You don’t want to miss this! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus.Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.  Produced by Jasmine Ellis and June Thomas. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Consumer Reports, “Hey Siri, Is That You? Apple’s New Voices Resonate With Some Black iPhone Users” Spectacular Vernacular interview with VocalID founder Rupal Patel on “choosing your voice” Axios, “Apple gives Siri a less gendered voice”Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne’s podcast, Lingthusiasm Lingthusiasm on Patreon Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben talk about the connection between football chants and language. They also interview Everdeen Mason, editorial director for games at the New York Times about her exciting role. And finally, our hosts are in the hot seat for this week’s wordplay. You don’t want to miss this! You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus.Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.  Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Ben’s Wall Street Journal column, “’Who Dey?’: A Chant With Roots in Black History” New York Times profile of Everdeen Mason How to apply to the New York Times Diverse Crossword Constructor Fellowship Washington Post article on “the latest reckoning over language in the puzzle world” New York Times article on the acquisition of Wordle Peter Gordon’s Fireball Crosswords Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben talk about how the capital of Ukraine has become a linguistic hot take. They also interview Jessi Grieser, a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville about her new book, The Black Side of the River: Race, Language, and Belonging in Washington D.C. And finally, we bring on a listener for some wordplay. We hope you’re good at figuring out analogies. You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus.Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.  Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha SalujaHere are some notes and references from this week’s show:New York Times: “How Do You Say Kyiv? It Can Be Hard for English Speakers” NPR “Kyiv or Kiev? Why people disagree about how to pronounce the Ukrainian capital’s name” Jessi Grieser: The Black Side of the River: Race, Language, and Belonging in Washington, D.C. “Bad Analogies” on Twitter Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben interview Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle, the creator of the viral online word game Wordle. They also recap their participation in the American Dialect Society’s annual Word of the Year vote, over which Ben presided. And Nicole’s shares some on-the-ground interviews from the Linguistic Society of America conference, at which she presented some of her own research. And finally, we bring on a listener for some wordplay. Can you solve our final wordplay clue? You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus.Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus.Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Kevin Bendis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben pay tribute to the late pioneer in linguistics and cognitive science, Lila Gleitman. They also interview Peter Sokolowski of Merriam-Webster and Fiona McPherson of the Oxford English Dictionary about the keywords of 2021. And finally, we bring on a listener for some wordplay. We hope you’re familiar with the diversity of English dialects. You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus.Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.  Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Lila Gleitman’s obituary in the New York Times Lila Gleitman’s interview at the 2017 Association for Psychological Science conference Oxford Languages Word of the Year Merriam-Webster Word of the Year American Dialect Society Word of the Year American Dialect Society’s 2021 Word of the Year livestream — register to join the virtual voting session! Subscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben discuss Creole languages. They also interview Rupal Patel, professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Computer Science at Northeastern University and the founder of VocaliD. And finally, Josh Levin and Joel Anderson, co-hosts of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen join us for some wordplay. We hope you’re good at playing the basketball game of Horse. You could win a year’s membership to Slate Plus.Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.  Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:BBC Pidgin ThoughtCo., “What You Should Know About Creole Language” Jamaican Creole at York College, “An Introduction to Jamaican Creole (also called Patwa or Patois)” Omniglot, “Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen)” Rupal Patel’s 2013 TED Talk, “Synthetic Voices, as Unique as Fingerprints” VocaliD, the company founded by Rupal Patel VocaliD’s Parrot Studio “One Year: 1995,” hosted by Josh Levin “Slow Burn: The L.A. Riots,” hoted by Joel Anderson “Hang Up and Listen,” hosted by Josh Levin, Joel Anderson, and Stefan Fatsis Josh’s Slate piece on the history of the “air ball” chant Joel Anderson’s special episode of “Hang Up and Listen” on Michael Jordan and the Washington WizardsSubscribe to Slate Plus. It’s only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices