Finding the true history of words, with Ben Z...

1218. This week, we look at "dog-directed speech" — the high-pitched, sing-songy register people love to use with dogs — and what the research says about whether dogs actually like it. Then we look at why it's "bated breath" and not "baited breath," and how Shakespeare used the p ...  Show more

1217. This week, we talk to Florence Hazrat, author of "On the Mark," about how punctuation evolved over 2,000 years. We look at why ancient Greek and Roman writing had no spaces between words, how a librarian in Alexandria introduced the first marks to help readers, and why the ...  Show more

The brilliant and dazzling Helen Zaltzman pops in with some new asides in this encore episode of Ologies. Helen, host of the podcasts The Allusionist, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, and a person who technically for a living researches the origins of language ...

Listen with FREE Interactive Transcript only on the RealLife App. Have you ever wondered why English words are the way they are? In this episode, Izzy and Ksenia dive into the fascinating world of etymology—the study of word origins! Understanding where words come from can make t ...  Show more

Have you ever wondered what’s up with double negation, the history of gender neutral pronouns, or why swearing is taboo? Then get ready for this week’s guest, linguist Anne Curzan! Anne and Jonathan talk about how the English language has evolved since the 1300s and how our words ...  Show more

This week, Susie and Gyles dive into the linguistic time capsule of the early 20th century. Join in as they explore the birth of new words and phrases that shaped communication from 1900 to 1910, providing a unique perspective on the evolution of our linguistic landscape." We lov ...  Show more