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Word of Mouth

Latest episodes

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Jan 10, 2023 • 28min

Exclamation Marks!!

In the first of a new series, Michael Rosen exclaims excitedly over exclamation marks with Dr Florence Hazrat, who has a passion for them. They explore the history behind the first punctuation symbol to indicate emotion and ask why some people do not like using them at all. Florence is the author of An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark!Producer Beth O'Dea
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Aug 23, 2022 • 28min

Nihal Arthanayake on conversation

Nihal Arthanayake has written a book based on his decades long experience of talking to people. Now he talks to Michael about what makes a good conversation.Producer Sally Heaven
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Aug 16, 2022 • 28min

Like

Carmen Fought is a Californian Valley Girl, born and bred and she's, like, there's nothing wrong with using 'like.' And Michael's, like, come on Word of Mouth and tell us why.Producer Sally Heaven
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Aug 9, 2022 • 28min

A Murmuration of Starlings

Most groups of wildlife can be described as a flock or a herd, a swarm or a shoal – but where is the fun in stopping there? From an army of ants to a dazzle of zebras, an exultation of larks to a murder of crows, the English language is brimming with weird and wonderful collective nouns to describe groups of animals and birds. Michael Rosen talks to Matt Sewell, author of 'A Charm of Goldfinches', about some of the more obscure examples that have made their way into common usage as collective nouns for creatures of the land, the sea and the air... Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley
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4 snips
Aug 2, 2022 • 28min

The Art of Apologies

Michael Rosen talks to sociolinguist Louise Mullany about all the ways in which we say sorry. From the sympathetic sorry in the face of bad news, to the polite sorry we say to strangers in the street. Via workplace hierarchies, gender differences, and the nitty-gritty of political apologies. Louise is a Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham and author of 'The Science of Politeness', due out next year.Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley
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Jul 26, 2022 • 28min

Ghosting Caking and Breadcrumbing

Michael Rosen talks to cyber-pyschologist Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton about the new language that has emerged now that so many relationships begin online. She has studied the way people use words and expressions to describe themselves in their dating profiles as well as their experiences of internet romance. She reveals how many of the creative new terms to describe relationships forged this way spring from African American speech and language. If you want to avoid being ghosted, catfished or bread-crumbed then this is for you.Producer for BBC Audio Wales and West of England: Maggie Ayre
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Jul 19, 2022 • 28min

Lords and Ladies: Folk Names for Plants and Flowers

Snotty Gogs and Moggie Nightgown may not immediately mean a lot to you but as common or folk names for the Yew berry and Wood anemone they reveal a fascinating social and cultural history of the countryside. Michael Rosen talks to the natural history broadcaster Brett Westwood about the informative, often funny sometimes bawdy names given to British plants and flowers.Producer: Maggie Ayre
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Jul 12, 2022 • 28min

My Stammer Story

Michael Rosen asks William Laven about how he has learnt to embrace language and life with a stammer. For the first 10 years of his life, William Laven went to speech therapy with a stammer that was so severe he could not form a full sentence. Fast forward to today, William is now a 23-year-old podcast founder, Tedx speaker, stammer advocate, awareness raiser and campaigner. He is devoted to improving expectations for those with speech impediments, to challenge the stigma surrounding stammers, and to encourage children with stammers to believe in themselves.When it comes to his own stammer, he now believes it’s his superpower! Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley
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May 10, 2022 • 28min

What is language actually good for?

Acclaimed Australian linguist Professor Nick Enfield has come to the conclusion that language is good for lawyers, for the purposes of persuasion, but bad for scientists who seek to accurately represent reality. It's a fascinating idea he explores in his new book Language vs Reality. What can language describe and where does it fail? Presenter Michael Rosen explores this with him in an in-depth conversation. Producer Beth O'Dea
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May 3, 2022 • 28min

Nathan Filer on the ways we talk about mental health

Nathan talks with Michael about words we use when talking about mental health.Producer Sally Heaven

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