A Word in Your Ear

Why did French become the universal language of high gastronomy across international royal courts and professional kitchens?

AWIYE: The work of voice and dialect coaches 

Neologisms, and how they are formed. 

The art of addressing someone formally over email. 

Language Professor Roly Sussex and Education Specialist Sue-Belinda Meehan discuss the language of how we teach primary school children, language. 

Pipe the hands and stand by, because Admiral of the English Language,  Professor Roly Sussex is making way through the language of the Royal Australian Navy and translating the salty expressions that have sailed from life at sea into everyday Australian English.

Language Professor Roly Sussex discusses the seventeen Australian words the Oxford English Dictionary has added in 2026, including "yeah nah", "checkout chick" and "dishlickers".

Language Professor Roly Sussex and 612-ABC Brisbane gardening expert Clare Bickle discuss the love language that is plants and gardening.  

Language Professor Roly Sussex and 612-ABC presenter Sally Rope discuss how television has shaped language via words they created and the catchphrases we love.   

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is underway - what words have come to us from the "Beautiful Game" and how many have crossed into other sports??

If you've ever "gawn to the bottlo, grabbed some goon and picked up some Maccas", that's a creative use of Australian English. Why is it so much fun? 

Professor Roly Sussex explores which language changes are allowed, which ones are a grey area, and which ones are still just plain wrong. 

Professor Roly Sussex answers all of your language questions.

Professor Roly Sussex raises a glass to the language of alcohol and being drunk - why have we always needed different ways to describe the same thing?

Language expert, Professor Roly Sussex discusses the language of clothing, material and fashion with special guest Nathalie Ryner, Costume Supervisor at Queensland Theatre . 

Language expert, Professor Roly Sussex discusses King Charles III's address to the American Congress, and why the King's accent was so effective in making criticism seem charming.

Professor Roly Sussex discusses the ways Acronyms and Initialisations are becoming an increasingly important part of written language.  

Special guest and former prisoner Craig Worland takes you through the language of prison and why it's important amongst the inmates. 

There have been many attempts to simplify or reform English spelling, none of which succeeded, but is it time to get rid of some punctuation? Is the letter "Z" really necessary in a modern world?

Americanisms have had such an impact on our language that ABC's Roly Sussex has recorded over 10,000 of them.

What's the origin of our Christmas expressions and how is the festive season talked about in languages other than English?

'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' is an English-language pangram: it's a sentence which contains all of the letters of the English alphabet. But is that the only pangram? Professor Roly Sussex is on a mission to find out.

Many surnames are patronymics, but there are a few matrilineal societies and the origins of the surname may differ in non-English speaking societies. Professor Roly Sussex is chatting to listeners about the origins and meanings of surnames all over the world.

Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about which Americanisms are in everyday use, which he thinks are likely to catch on, and which American words or expressions never will.

Why do we have a left and right in politics, and what do pebbles and scalps have to do with elections? Professor Roly Sussex is talking about the language of politics.

Some dogs go woof, others might go bow wow, but what if you or your dog don't speak English as your first language: what sound does your dog make then?

It's sometimes said that we should reform English spelling so that there should be one letter for one sound and one sound for one letter. Professor Roly Sussex explains why he thinks this wouldn't work.

How do you guard against being impolite and what do you do if someone is impolite to you? Professor Roly Sussex is talking with the utmost respect about words and language.

How do we know who talks when and when can other people join in a conversation or interject and interrupt? Allow Professor Roly Sussex to explain.

An Oxford comma walks into a bar where it spends the evening watching the television, getting drunk, and smoking cigars! Professor Roly Sussex is having some fun with various figures of speech and grammatical issues.

Bud, mate, guys, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues: Professor Roly Sussex is talking about terms of address and who can use which words to say hello to whom and under what circumstances.

There are many ways to express affection for loved ones, some are more traditional and others originate in languages other than English. Professor Roly Sussex is having some fun with terms of endearment.

Cilantro or coriander, candy or lolly? Which foods have different names in North America - and why? Allow Professor Roly Sussex to explain.

Professor Roly Sussex is noshing his way through a menu of English food words.

Acidic or earthy? Bitter or bittersweet? Sweet or spicy or even sour? The words used to describe food can entice or repulse. Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about edible linguistics.

Who is the best example of a speaker of English in Australia today?

Is pronunciation and where to put the stress the same thing? Allow Professor Roly Sussex to explain.

While spoonerisms are commonly heard as slips of the tongue, and getting one's words in a tangle, they can also be used intentionally as a play on words. Allow Professor Roly Sussex to explain.

Going to the rubbidy with the trouble and strife? Take a Captain Cook at Professor Roly Sussex's contribution to rhyming slang.

Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about words with odd definitions, origins and generally a strange garden of verbal weeds.

Schoolboy humour or just a nice way to talk about sensitive or embarrassing topics, Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about the use and definition of euphemisms.

Collocations are essential to speaking and understanding English, but are there rules when it comes to using them? Professor Roly Sussex is on the case.

Professor Roly Sussex is chatting about the power of slogans and how effective they can be in creating a more lasting message or memory.

Politeness through avoidance means using conditional questions to stay away from language that may be thought confrontational or challenging. Professor Roly Sussex explains.

Schadenfreude, flak, pretzel, and so much more. Professor Roly Sussex on words we have borrowed from the German language.

Nouns have always been verbified, but is it right or wrong and should we or should we not? Professor Roly Sussex explains.

Nicknames are a wonderful part of language play and are very well developed in Australia. Professor Roly Sussex explains.

Everyone has a headful of English; not everyone can explain how it all works

Why and which Americanisms have crept into every day use in Australian English?

Vow and Declare - A Melbourne Cup winner and the subject matter with Roly Sussex this week as we talk doublets