Fifty Words For Snow podcast artwork

PODCAST · education

Fifty Words For Snow

A linguistic expedition into brave new words. Maggie Rowe and Emily John Garcés hunt for words that lack an English equivalent. They like to think of themselves as Dora the Explorers of language, with their rucksacks and hats and notebooks and magnifying glasses, embarking on a cultural adventure, hunting and gathering useful new word specimens from far flung continents, and holding them up to see what new light they shine on old ideas.

  1. 91

    Ep 70 Whiskey Words: Angel's Share and Devil's Cut

    Maggie and Emily talk to whiskey sommelier Colonel Sam Green about words from the world of whiskey. Whiskey Tasting with Eric Giancoli and Arlo Miller-Baynham. Poem by Emily: Drinking on Jura.

  2. 90

    Ep. 69 Fancy French Words: Émerveillement and Éblouissement

    Maggie and Emily learn the French words Émerveillement and Éblouissement from Luc Lewitanski and put the word "masterpiece" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: l'émerveillement.

  3. 89

    Ep 68 Words From the French Language: La Mie and Gourmand

    Maggie and Emily learn the French words la mie and gourmand from French and English educator Luc Lewitanski and explore a "word in action" with reporter at large Eric Giancoli. Poem by Maggie: La Mie.

  4. 88

    Ep 67 The Pleasure Episode: Bengali word "shukhi shoreer"

    Maggie and Emily learn the Bengali word shukhi shoreer from Sandeep Mukherjee, discuss Mr. Pleasure with C. Brian Smith, and talk about the democratization of connoisseurship with Paul Jackson. Poem by Maggie: Mr Pleasure.

  5. 87

    Ep 66 Word from the Birds: Torpor

    Maggie and Emily learn the word torpor from Ballona Wetlands tour guide Susan Levinson and put the word "hardworking" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: Surrender.

  6. 86

    Ep 65 Sanskrit Buddhist Word: Viriya

    Maggie and Emily learn the Sanskrit word viriya from Katherine “Senshin” Griffith, head teacher at the Zen Center of Los Angeles and discuss “sick in bed without a fever day” with Jim Vallely. Poem by Maggie: Tiny Hero.

  7. 85

    Rerun of Ep 23 Words from the Language Of Wine: Terroir and Botrytis (Noble Rot)

    Maggie and Emily learn the words from “terroir” and “noble rot” from wine educator  Nora Murphy. They discover “apisoir” with Michael Alberty and “aha-mnesty” with C. Brian Smith. Poem by Emily:  Terroir.

  8. 84

    Rerun of Ep 22 Words From Buddhism: Dukkha and Mudita

    Maggie and Emily discuss the Buddhist words dukkha and mudita with Zen priest Senshin and put the word “karma” on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: Not To My Liking.

  9. 83

    Rerun of Ep 21 Valentines Day Episode: Words From Around the World

    Maggie and Emily talk to guests from around the world about love and learn how people say “I love you” across the globe. Poem by Emily: galaxies.

  10. 82

    Rerun of Ep 19 Words From Math and Music

     Emily and I will be back with new episodes in May, but for now, we have a rerun of episode 19 words from math and music. Here we go.

  11. 81

    Rerun Ep 20 Words from the Armenian Language: qti maz and mousmous

    Maggie and Emily learn the Armenian words qti maz and mousmous from Gagik Hakobyan and John Ekezian. They discuss the term brickianity with Rob Bell and see the word kalsarikänni in action with Eric Giancoli. Poem by Maggie: Tapping Out.

  12. 80

    Rerun Ep 17 Words From the Pashto Language: Gharzai and Sabar

    Maggie and Emily discuss the Pashto words gharzai and sabar with native speaker Sanjar Qiam from Afghanistan and learn the word "contemplocean" from the author of The Cosmic Dictionary, Norm Millstein. Poem by Emily: Gharzai.

  13. 79

    Rerun of Ep 18 Words from the Hebrew Language: Asir Toda and Nefesh

    Maggie and Emily learn Hebrew words asir toda and nefesh from native speaker Leila Eden. Reporter at large Peter Baynham reports on the Finnish word kalsarikännit and Susie McDonnell shares “embarrask.” Poem by Maggie: Asir Toda (Gratitude Prisoner)

  14. 78

    Rerun of Ep 16 Words From the Pashto Language: Khomar and Melamastia

    Maggie and Emily learn the words khomar and melamastia from native speaker Sanjar Qiam. They speak with Italian actress Laura James about the Italian word pantofoliao and observe the French word flaneur in action with Jim Vallely. Poem by Maggie: It Happens Sometimes. 

  15. 77

    Rerun of Ep 15 Words From the French Language: Flaneur and Dépaysement

    Maggie and Emily speak with Chris Reuland about the French words flaneur and dépaysement and learn a very particular use of the word “scripted” from John Ekezian. Poem by Emily: Dépaysement.

  16. 76

    Rerun of Ep 14 Words from the Croatian Language: Pomalo and Fjaka

     Maggie and Emily learn the words pomalo and fjaka from native Croatian speaker Saskia Neal. They discover the word hustletivity with Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan. Poem by Maggie: It is Time.

  17. 75

    Rerun of Ep 13 Words from the Swedish Language: Lagom and Slutspurt

    Maggie and Emily talk to Majken Nillson about the Swedish words slutspurt and lagom. They explore a "Word in Action" with Nerys Miller-Baynham and the word "woolfthdt." Poem by Emily: Lagom.

  18. 74

    Rerun of Episode 12 Words From Italian Language: Scarpetta and Spaghettata

    A linguistc expedition into brave new words. Maggie and Emily learn the Farsi words taarof and khaste nabashid with native speaker Navid Naderi Alizadeh and put the term “happy birthday” on linguistic trial. Poem by Emily: Taarof.

  19. 73

    Rerun of Ep 11: Words from Farsi Language: Taarof and Khaste Nabashid

    A linguistic exploration into brave new words. In this rerun of episode 11, Maggie and Emily learn the Farsi words taarof and khaste nabashid with native speaker Navid Naderi Alizadeh and put the term “happy birthday” on linguistic trial. Poem by Emily: Taarof.

  20. 72

    Ep 64 The Valentine's Episode: The Word Love on Trial

    Maggie and Emily revisit the Sanskrit word mudita with Katherine Senshin Griffith and the Chinese word guimi 閨蜜 with Shen Zhong. Then, they put the word "love" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: The First Year Without Love.

  21. 71

    Ep 63 Words from Ancient Greek Language: Kyklos and Epistrophe

    Maggie and Emily learn the ancient Greek words kyklos and epistrophe from psychologist Chet Sunde and try to coin a word for "nostalgia for the present" with Arlo Miller-Baynham. Poem by Emily: I Had An Epistrophe.

  22. 70

    Ep 62 Words From Ancient Greek Language: Ekgona

    Maggie and Emily learn the Ancient Greek word "ekgona" from psychologist Chet Sunde and put the word "legacy" on linguistic trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: ekgona.

  23. 69

    Ep 61 Words From Hebrew Language: tohu va vohu

    Maggie and Emily explore the Hebrew word tohu va vohu with retired Yeshiva principal Seth Taylor and philospher Peter Rollins. Poem by Maggie: Tohu wa-bohu.

  24. 68

    Ep 60 Words From Portuguese Language: Saudade

    Maggie and Emily discuss the Portuguese word saudade with Lucas Gomes and Peter Rollins. Poem by Emily: Saudade.

  25. 67

    Ep 59 Words from Puerto Rican Spanish: Gufear and Chinchorrear

    Maggie and Emily learn the Puerto Rican Spanish words gufear and chinchorrear and speak to Nerys Miller-Baynham about the fictional Welsh saint, Saint Toiletai. Poem by Maggie: One Day.

  26. 66

    Ep 58 The New Year's Episode: German word Umwelt

    Maggie and Emily learn the German word umvelt from philosopher/Biblical scholar Jared Byas. Poem by Emily: The Umvelt of the Human Animal.

  27. 65

    Ep 57 The Christmas Episode: Portuguese word Muvuca

    Maggie and Emily learn the Portuguese word muvuca from Kika Mousse and put the term "safe space" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: Muvuca.

  28. 64

    Ep 56 Words From French Language: Spleen and Yaourter

    Maggie and Emily learn the French words spleen and yaourter from Luc Lewitanski and the AI term hopium from C. Brian Smith. Poem by Emily: Spleen.

  29. 63

    Ep 55 Words from French Language: retrouvailles and l'esprit d'escalier

    Maggie and Emily learn the French words rretrouvailles and l'esprit d'escalier from Parisian English and French teacher Luc Lewitanski. Then they put the word "banter" on trial. Poem by Maggie: L'esprit d'escalier.

  30. 62

    Ep 54 Words from Portuguese Language: Cafofo and Cafuné

    Maggie and Emily learn the Portugese words cafofo and cafuné from Kika Mousse and put the word "self-made" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: Cafofo.

  31. 61

    Ep 53 The Thanksgiving Episode: Word Biophilia

    Maggie and Emily learn the word "biophilia" from Globe Aware founder Kimbery Haley-Coleman and discuss two words coined by poet Norm Milstein: hapitat and ebullhumblexuberance. Poem by Maggie: Heavier Things Than Me.

  32. 60

    Ep 52 The Journey of a Word: Tachles

    Maggie and Emily learn the word tachles (German/Hebrew/Yiddish) from retired Yeshiva principal and educator Seth Taylor and put the word “utilize” on trial with Judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: Tachles.

  33. 59

    Ep 51 The Illusion Episode: French word Chimera (Chimère) and Hindi word Mrugtrushna

    Maggie and Emily learn two words dealing with illusion, the French word chimère from Ralph Levinson and Luc Lewitanski and the Hindi word mrigtrishna from Vikas and Shashi Bandhu. Poem by Maggie: Condemned to Hope

  34. 58

    Ep 50 Words From the Eye: Scotoma

    Maggie and Emily learn the word “scotoma” from retired ophthalmologist Ralph Levinson, then put scotoma “in action” with Eric Giancoli. They coin the word chatterflop with Daniel Wiltshire. Poem by Emily: Scotoma.

  35. 57

    Ep 49 Words From Church part two - Reckoning

    Maggie and Emily discuss the word "reckoning" with pastor Cedric Lundy and put the word "forgiveness" on trial with judge Matt Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: While Washing The Dishes.

  36. 56

    Ep 48 Words From Russian Language- Toska (Тоска) and Listopad (Листопад)

    Maggie and Emily learn the Russian words Toska (Тоска) and Listopad (Листопад) from Masha Lichtenberg. Word in action: the Hindi word jugaad with natual stone specialist Dan Wiltshire. Poem by Emily: A Cat Called Tosca

  37. 55

    Ep 47 Words From Russian Language: Da nyet ( Да нет) and Apparatchik (Аппаратчик)

    Maggie and Emily learn the Russian words Da nyet (Да нет) and Apparatchik (Аппаратчик) from Masha Lichtenberg and put the term "can't wait" on trial with judge Matt Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: No.

  38. 54

    Ep 46: Teen Slang: Words of the Young

    Maggie and Emily learn teen slang from Maggie's nieces, Addie and Ava, and Emily's son Ollie. Words include 6-7, gyatt, touch grass, riz, Stan, big back, Poem by Emily: Poem Number 67.

  39. 53

    Ep 45 Wise Words From Church: Edify

    Maggie and Emily discuss the word "edify" with pastor Cedric Lundy and put the word "secular" on trial with judge Eric Giancoli. Poem by Maggie: Looking For God In All The Wrong Places.

  40. 52

    Ep 44 Words From Hindi Language: Seva and Atithi

    Maggie and Emily learn the Hindi words seva and atithi from Vikas and Shashi Bandhu. "Word in action": seva with Nerys Miller-Baynham. Poem by Emily: seva.

  41. 51

    Ep 43 Words From Hindi Language: Nazar

    Maggie and Emily learn the Hindi word nazar from Vikas and Shashi Bandhu and put one usage of the word "just" on trial. Poem by Maggie: Nazar.

  42. 50

    Ep 42 Words From Welsh Language: Hiraeth

    Maggie and Emily learn the Welsh word hiraeth from Welsh educater Stephen Rule (Dr.Cymraeg.) Poem by Emily: Hiraeth.

  43. 49

    Ep 41 Words from Astrophysics: Dark Matter and Parallax

    Maggie and Emily explore the Dutch word ietsisme and the terms “dark matter” and "parallax" with astrophysicist Margot Brouer. They discuss “scalation” with author/speaker Rob Bell. Poem by Maggie: Dark Matter.

  44. 48

    Ep 40 Words From German Language - Weltschmerz

    Maggie and Emily learn the German word weltschmerz from Philipp De Vries. Word in action: Muße with Eric Giancoli. Poem by Emily: Wild.

  45. 47

    Ep 39 - Words From Dutch Language: zingeving

    Maggie and Emiy learn the Dutch word zingeving from astrophysicist Margot Brouwer. Poem by Maggie: Zingeving.

  46. 46

    Ep 38 - Words From German Language - Muße

    Maggie and Emily learn the German word muße from Philipp De Vries and explore petrichor with Susan Sechrist. Poem by Emily: Muße.

  47. 45

    Ep 37 Words From Dutch Language: Polderon

    Maggie and Emily learn the Dutch word polderon and put the word "boss" on trial with judge C. Brian Smith. Poem by Maggie: Polderon.

  48. 44

    Ep 36 Words From Dutch Language: Uitwaaien and Voorpret

    Maggie and Emily learn the Dutch words uitwaaien and voorpret from Jozua Ros and explore the Cajun lagniappe with Brenda Pontiff. Poem by Emily: Uitwaaien.

  49. 43

    Ep 35 Words from Swedish Language: Fika

    Maggie and Emily learn the Swedish word fika from Tomas Walch and explore the word petrichor with Susan Sechrist. Poem by Maggie: fika

  50. 42

    Ep 34 Words From Swedish Language: Vemod

    Maggie and Emily learn the Swedish word vemod from Tomas Walch, coin the word "crookie," and put the word "manifestation" on trial with Judge Matthew Laura Aitkin. Poem by Emily: Vemod

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

A linguistic expedition into brave new words. Maggie Rowe and Emily John Garcés hunt for words that lack an English equivalent. They like to think of themselves as Dora the Explorers of language, with their rucksacks and hats and notebooks and magnifying glasses, embarking on a cultural adventure, hunting and gathering useful new word specimens from far flung continents, and holding them up to see what new light they shine on old ideas.

HOSTED BY

Maggie Rowe and Emily Garces

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Fifty Words For Snow have?

Fifty Words For Snow currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Fifty Words For Snow about?

A linguistic expedition into brave new words. Maggie Rowe and Emily John Garcés hunt for words that lack an English equivalent. They like to think of themselves as Dora the Explorers of language, with their rucksacks and hats and notebooks and magnifying glasses, embarking on a cultural adventure,...

How often does Fifty Words For Snow release new episodes?

Fifty Words For Snow has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Fifty Words For Snow?

You can listen to Fifty Words For Snow on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Fifty Words For Snow?

Fifty Words For Snow is created and hosted by Maggie Rowe and Emily Garces.
URL copied to clipboard!