"Perfect!" is everywhere. On the evolution and ubiquity of a flawless word.
Visit <a href="https://booksmartstudios.com/lexiconvalley">Lexicon Valley</a>. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 297: "A Perfect Episode." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>"Perfect!" is everywhere. On the evolution and ubiquity of a flawless word.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 297: "A Perfect Episode." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

Why is everybody saying "Perfect!" these days?

"Perfect!" is everywhere. On the evolution and ubiquity of a flawless word.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 297: "A Perfect Episode." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Perfect Episode

Listener Steven wrote: "I’ve been hornswoggled! So, what exactly has happened to me and when did people start getting hornswoggled? Is it painful?" We have answers.
Visit <a href="https://booksmartstudios.com/lexiconvalley">Lexicon Valley</a>. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 296: "I've Been Hornswoggled!" With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>Listener Steven wrote: "I’ve been hornswoggled! So, what exactly has happened to me and when did people start getting hornswoggled? Is it painful?" We have answers.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 296: "I've Been Hornswoggled!" With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

It's our first mailbag segment — from listener Steven in Australia.

Listener Steven wrote: "I’ve been hornswoggled! So, what exactly has happened to me and when did people start getting hornswoggled? Is it painful?" We have answers.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 296: "I've Been Hornswoggled!" With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've Been Hornswoggled!

Is there anything particularly loose about a goose — or does that idiom exist only because it rhymes? Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo investigate.
Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 295: "Loose as a Goose." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>Is there anything particularly loose about a goose — or does that idiom exist only because it rhymes? Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo investigate.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 295: "Loose as a Goose." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

On the mysterious origins of an anserine expression.

Is there anything particularly loose about a goose — or does that idiom exist only because it rhymes? Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo investigate.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 295: "Loose as a Goose." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loose as a Goose

John McWhorter on language change — from the meaning of wit to the pronunciation of automobile. Plus, a defense of redundancy!
Visit <a href="https://booksmartstudios.com/lexiconvalley%E2%81%A0">⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠</a>. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 294: "The Sound of a Car Backshifting." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>John McWhorter on language change — from the meaning of wit to the pronunciation of automobile. Plus, a defense of redundancy!

Visit ⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 294: "The Sound of a Car Backshifting." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

Listen to the way people in old radio and film pronounced "automobile."

John McWhorter on language change — from the meaning of wit to the pronunciation of automobile. Plus, a defense of redundancy!

Visit ⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 294: "The Sound of a Car Backshifting." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sound of a Car Backshifting

<a href="https://booksmartstudios.com/lexiconvalley">⁠⁠</a>Getting new words into the dictionary is a rigorous, time consuming process — with no guarantee of success.
<a href="https://booksmartstudios.com/lexiconvalley">Visit Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠</a>. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 293: "How Do Words Get into the Dictionary?" With Stefan Fatsis and Bob Garfield. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>⁠⁠Getting new words into the dictionary is a rigorous, time consuming process — with no guarantee of success.

Visit Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 293: "How Do Words Get into the Dictionary?" With Stefan Fatsis and Bob Garfield. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

Humans are still doing the difficult work of defining words, for now.

⁠⁠Getting new words into the dictionary is a rigorous, time consuming process — with no guarantee of success.

Visit Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 293: "How Do Words Get into the Dictionary?" With Stefan Fatsis and Bob Garfield. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Do Words Get into the Dictionary?

A podcast about language, with hosts Mike Vuolo, Bob Garfield and John McWhorter.

Lexicon Valley

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