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Episode 1552

Moon Palace

What happens in a classroom of refugee and immigrant youngsters learning English? Their fresh approach to language can result in remarkable poetry — some of which is collected in the anthology England: Poems from a School. Also, new language among...

Conquer the Con Quiz

Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s game is based on the names of cities and states where the National Puzzlers’ League has held its annual convention over the past few years. Attendees came up with a punny moniker for each that incorporates the...

Head-to-Tail Shift Puzzle

Our Quiz Guy John Chaneski, who belongs to the National Puzzlers’ League, brought us a game inspired by the league’s newsletter. In this game, based on head-to-tail shifts, the first letter of a word moves to the back to form a new word, so if...

The Flat Word Game

Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a twist on a challenge that’s a favorite among members of the National Puzzlers League, the classic fill-in-the-blank game called The Flat. This is part of a complete episode.

English Down Under

This week, Martha and Grant discuss terms from Australia, including aerial ping-pong, pumpkin squatter, and…kangarooster? They explain the connection between stereotypes and stereos, and why we call the person clearing tables in a restaurant a...

Never Bolt Your Door with A Boiled Carrot

Proverbs pack great truths into a few well-chosen words, no matter which language you speak. Check out this one from Belize: “Don’t call the alligator a big-mouth till you have crossed the river.” And this truism from Zanzibar:...