Why Q needs U and how hieroglyphics created our alphabet, with Danny Bate

Why Q needs U and how hieroglyphics created o...

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The history of the octothorpe. Sir Fragalot and sentence fragments. Dribzle.

1164. This week, we look at the origin of the octothorpe — also known as the pound sign or hashtag — and why it has so many different names. Then, we look at sentence fragments and the secret of "Sir Fragalot" to help you avoid common writing mistakes. A video of the man who inve ...  Show more

How 'be like' took over the world, with Sali Tagliamonte

1163. This week, we look at what it’s like to be a "language detective" with Sali Tagliamonte and how she used her own teenagers as a research lab. We look at a 25-year study on how the phrase "be like" became a permanent fixture of English, why the word "very" is suddenly making ...  Show more

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