A witty euphemism from our Facebook group for discussing one’s age: I’m plenty-nine. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Plenty Nine” We were talking earlier about different ways to fudge your age, to euphemize...
Poet Adrienne Rich wrote powerfully of the “psychic disequilibrium” that occurs when people don’t see their own identities reflected in the language of others, “as if you looked in the mirror and saw nothing.” This is...
Lady, woman, and girl carry different signals depending on speaker, listener, age, number, and setting. Rachel, a 22-year-old from upstate New York, heard a hostel roommate described as a lady and pictured someone older. Her Wisconsin friend meant...
Joelle from the Bronx, a singer in the Broadway production of The Lion King, wonders whether “Auntie” (pronounced AHN-tee) for an older woman who is not a blood relative is especially common in Black communities. That respectful non-relational use...
Is saying “Yes, Ma’am” and “No, Sir” when addressing someone in conversation too formal or off-putting? Not if it’s clear that those niceties come naturally to you. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript...
How do translators of literature decide which words to use? B.J. Epstein, a Chicago native now living in the UK, is a translator with an excellent blog on the subject called Brave New Words. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...