What makes a word beautiful? Is it merely how it sounds? Or does a word’s meaning affect its aesthetic effect? Max Beerbohm had some helpful thoughts about gondola, scrofula, and other words in his essay “The Naming of Streets.”...
The words plethora and drastic both have roots in ancient Greek. Both were first used in English as medical terms, plethora indicating “an excess of bodily fluid” and drastic meaning “having an effect.” This is part of a...
If you’re looking forlorn and at a loss, a German speaker might describe you with a phrase that translates as “ordered but not picked up.” It’s as if you’re a forgotten pizza on a restaurant counter. This is part of a...
How sour is it? If you speak German, you might answer with a phrase that translates as “That’s so sour it will pull the holes in your socks together.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “How Sour is It?”...
A German idiom for “I’m going to take a nap” translates as “I have to take a look at myself from the inside.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Look at Myself From the Inside” Grant...
A native of Colombia wants to know: Do different languages add new words in similar ways? He believes that Spanish, for example, is far less open to innovation than English. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Adding New...