Slate Debates
Slate Podcasts
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 20, 2016 • 27min
What Is a Dictionary, Really?
John Simpson, former editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, talks about life as a lexicographer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 6, 2016 • 27min
The Invisible Language of Nursery Rhymes
What does "Hickory Dickory Dock" really mean? John McWhorter makes linguistic sense of seemingly arbitrary children's verse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 23, 2016 • 39min
Word Sex
How Words Hook Up and Make New Ones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 8, 2016 • 48min
Should Shakespeare Get a Modern English Update?
John McWhorter talks with author Jack Lynch about the sacrilege of modified Shakespeare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 26, 2016 • 42min
Are Emoji a Language?
Gretchen McCulloch talks to John McWhorter about the big meaning behind our favorite little pictograms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 12, 2016 • 30min
Finding Life in a Dead Language
Ann Patty, author of "Living With a Dead Language: My Romance With Latin," talks about her transformative experience of learning Latin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 29, 2016 • 33min
Rules Are Made to Be Spoken
Sali Tagliamonte, author of Making Waves: The Story of Variationist Sociolinguistics, talks about the underlying disorder of the English Language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 14, 2016 • 30min
The Tragedy of English Spelling
Etymologist and poet Anatoly Liberman says that English is one of the most difficult languages to spell. But we can change that.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: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 31, 2016 • 34min
Your Brain on Profanity
Benjamin K. Bergen, author of the upcoming What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, andOurselves, discusses the science of cursing.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: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 17, 2016 • 28min
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!
How an American Revolutionary War figure spawned a new name for a very old game. 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: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
