With the Olympics just a couple of weeks away, Chinese national pride is peaking. What better way to express that than name your one - and probably only - child Olympic Games? We get the lowdown on that, as well as on China’s many languages and dialects. Plus, there’s something else we can blame on [...]
Entries from July 2008
July 21, 2008
podcast #13: chants, applause and faux esperanto
It’s non-verbal language this week. That means chants, whistles, grunts and other noises that crowds make. We consider why one refrain in a White Stripes song has become so popular among European soccer fans. Also, the language of applause. Finally, the deeply weird story about a TV ad in Esperanto - except it wasn’t Esperanto. Listen here.
July 15, 2008
podcast #12: official English, unofficial Spanish, campaign songs and the French word for podcast
We hit the Presidential campaign trail this week. John McCain has an awkward moment with a voter who seems to want Spanish banned. Barack Obama has to deal with charges that he would force Americans to learn Spanish. Also, from 70s rock to reggaetón: the unofficial campaign songs of the Presidential candidates. And French and [...]
July 8, 2008
podcast #11: living dictionaries and a singing ambassador
It’s official: “muffin top” now has its own entry in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. This week, we consider several new words, or new meanings of old words, that have found their way into the Concise OED. We also talk with writer Charlotte Brewer about how the OED tries to keep up with the ever-evolving [...]
