So, um, where do those, er, filler words come from? Discourse particles, as they’re also known, are used to fill those gaps when we’re thinking of what to say but don’t want to lose our turn in a conversation. English isn’t the only language that...
“El pez se muere por la boca” is a wise and vivid Spanish proverb. It means “the fish dies by its mouth.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Spanish Proverb” Well, for a while there, it was impossible to miss the stories about radio...
Spanglish. What’s it all about? Is it a real language, or just a funky amalgam? Ilan Stavans‘ book Spanglish: The Making of a New American Language traces the varieties of Spanglish that have sprung up around the country, and includes his...
Pungle is the mystery word in a two-choice quiz involving a baby platypus and putting down money. A clue points to western U.S. usage and a thoroughly Anglicized form from Spanish pongale, an imperative meaning “put it there” or “put it down.” This...
What film title, when translated from its Spanish version, is known as An Expert in Fun? It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off! Now take a crack at decoding these two: Love without Stopovers and Very Important Perros. This is part of a complete episode...
Five-year-old Timothy in Bainbridge Island, Washington, asks why a draw in tic-tac-toe is called a cat’s game. The exact reason is unknown, but cats turn up in several names for the game and its tied outcomes. In some Spanish-speaking countries, tic...