She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are seashells I’m sure, so if she sells seashells on the seashore, then I’m sure she sells seashore shells. Some claim that this tongue twister is about the early life of 19th-century English paleontologist Mary Anning. Although there’s scant evidence to back up the notion that this ditty was inspired by Anning’s job selling fossils and other curios in a seaside town, it’s a good excuse to dig deeper into the life of this remarkable woman. Despite her pioneering contributions to the field of paleontology, Anning received little recognition during her lifetime. Eventually, though, the Royal Society would include her in a list of the ten most influential British women in the history of science. This is part of a complete episode.
More from this show
What makes a great first line of a book? How do the best authors put together an initial sentence that draws you in and makes you want to read more? We’re talking about the openings of such novels as George Orwell’s 1984...
To slip someone a mickey means to doctor a drink and give it to an unwitting recipient. The phrase goes back to Mickey Finn of the Lone Star Saloon in Chicago, who in the late 19th century was notorious for drugging certain customers and relieving...