Apple Turnover - 17 August 2026

“Are we ready to order yet?” Why do restaurant servers use the word “we” when they’re not eating with you or helping you pay the bill? And a story of Cold War intrigue: A young saxophone player’s clever ruse to smuggle information past KGB agents by encoding it in sheet music. Pl ...  Show more

Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article? Plus, those Little Free Libraries filled with book ...  Show more

1037. This week, we answer a few questions that have popped up from previous episodes: What's up with the "positive anymore"? What is havoc? Is it wreaked or wrought? And more!🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Sub ...  Show more

In this podcast we discuss that weird feeling you get when you worry, we talk about the best ways to remember words and becoming fluent in a language. We Of course we talk about learning Chinese and ways and means but also being slapped with a fish.Our Partner OCT - Mandarin Test ...  Show more

Do you have trouble understanding American speech habits? In today’s Tear Up Your Textbook Tuesday, Lindsay and Michelle discuss 5 weird ways Americans use English, and how to understand what they’re saying!   Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video course now Learn more a ...  Show more

Words versus mobs, reckoning with CT’s past, and weird neighbors. For show notes and more, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices