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Lexicon Valley

by Lexicon Valley

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

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Episodes

  1. How to Kill a Language, Part I

    From Ukraine to Maori to Emilian, a conversation with author Sophia Smith Galer about language suppression, revitalization and death. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 316: "How to Kill a Language, Part I." With Bob Garfield. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced...

  2. Bang for the Buck

    An investigation into the nuclear origins of "bang for the buck." Plus, we get buck-naked! Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 315: "Bang for the Buck." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights...

  3. The Language of Liars

    An interview with science-fiction author S.L. Huang, whose experience learning languages informed their most recent novella, ⁠⁠The Language of Liars⁠⁠. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 314: "The Language of Liars." With Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo....

  4. No More Mr. Nice Guy

    Was Perry Como the original Mr. Nice Guy? And who again was Perry Como? Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield explain. Visit ⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 313: "No More Mr. Nice Guy." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom...

  5. Nice Guys Finish Last

    What does a cement mixer and a 1948 Cosmopolitan magazine article have to do with the phrase Nice Guys Finish Last? Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield explain. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 312: "Nice Guys Finish Last." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and…

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  6. Happily Ever Arter

    In a bonus segment for all listeners, John McWhorter talks about "arter," a word from Jim's dialect in Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 311: "Happily Ever Arter." With John McWhorter. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced…

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  7. Grand Am

    John McWhorter on the truth behind "am" in Black English. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 310: "Grand Am." With John McWhorter. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

  8. Haut Corn!

    John McWhorter asks: What did Black New Yorkers sound like in the 1800s? Find out in this first of a two-part episode. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 309: "Haut Corn!" With John McWhorter. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights...

  9. A Quick Buck

    A buck is a male deer. Or a dollar bill. Or a strapping lad. Or an old poker term. Are they related? Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 308: "A Quick Buck." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights...

  10. Nice of You to Join Us

    What does a Jane Austen novel have in common with a George Carlin routine? Biting commentary on the word nice! Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 307: "Nice of You to Join Us." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom...

  11. The Dating Game, Great White Edition

    Play along and guess the correct chronological order of the following phrases: Great White Hope, Great White Shark and Great White Way. And check out our other *great* episodes: The Amazing Great: Good is no longer good enough. Everyone is awesome, superlative or great. The G.O.A.T.: An...

  12. The Original Maverick

    Legend has it that Samuel Maverick was a 19th-century rancher who refused to brand his cattle — but was he really such a maverick? Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 305: "The Original Maverick." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo....

  13. Get One's Goat

    On the possible origins of a provocative — and thoroughly caprine — phrase, featuring lexicographer Ben Zimmer. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 47: "Get One's Goat." With Bob Garfield, Mike Vuolo and Ben Zimmer. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia...

  14. The G.O.A.T.

    The aggrandizing acronym that was seeded in the 1960s and born decades later. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 304: "The G.O.A.T." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more…

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  15. The Amazing Great

    Good is no longer good enough. Everyone is awesome, superlative or great. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 280: "The Amazing Great." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more...

  16. The Ethereal Omelet

    A double dose of beautiful words, including the pleasant-sounding mellifluous — which happens to mean pleasant-sounding! Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 303: "The Ethereal Omelet." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia...

  17. The Most Beautiful Word

    Poetry Society of America members have chosen the most beautiful word in the English language. Any guesses? Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 302: "The Most Beautiful Word." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom...

  18. The Dating Game, Paranormal Edition

    Guess the chronological order of these early 20th-century words: paramilitary, paranormal and (drug-related) paraphernalia. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 301: "The Dating Game, Paranormal Edition." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike…

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  19. Parasocial Climbing

    In our age of AI, the word "parasocial" has gained new relevance. Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield trace its rise and discuss other "para" words like paragraph and parachute. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 300: "Parasocial Climbing." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo....

  20. The Lowdown on Lowkey

    John McWhorter on the hidden logic of "lowkey." Plus, where did all those terms of venery come from? A flamboyance of flamingos? Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 299: "The Lowdown on Lowkey." With John McWhorter. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia...

  21. The Dating Game, Perfect Edition

    Play along with our new game and guess the correct chronological order of the following phrases: perfect crime, perfect fit, perfect storm and perfect stranger. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 298: "The Dating Game, Perfect Edition." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo....

  22. A Perfect Episode

    "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...

  23. I've Been Hornswoggled!

    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.…

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  24. Loose as a Goose

    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…

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  25. The Sound of a Car Backshifting

    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…

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  26. How Do Words Get into the Dictionary?

    ⁠⁠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....

  27. Look It Up! The Story of the Dictionary.

    "Unabridged" author Stefan Fatsis on the fastidious practice of lexicography and the heiress who amassed the largest collection of dictionaries in history. ⁠⁠Visit Lexicon Valley⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 292: "Look It Up! The Story of the Dictionary." With Stefan Fatsis and Bob...

  28. Open Season for Racists

    Like 'analog watch' and 'snail mail,' 'openly racist' is a retronym — John McWhorter and Mike Vuolo explain. ⁠Visit Lexicon Valley⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 291: "Open Season for Racists." With John McWhorter and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved....

  29. Playing the Angles

    What does St. John the Apostle have in common with Bernie Bernbaum, the sniveling grifter from Miller's Crossing? Angling! Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 290: "Playing the Angles." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by…

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  30. You Get the Gist

    During an appearance on The Gist with Mike Pesca, we discussed the curious backstory of, you guessed it, the word "gist." Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 289: "You Get the Gist." With Bob Garfield, Mike Pesca, and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia...

  31. Derek Guy on the Language of Clothing

    A prolific writer on men's fashion, Guy discusses the vocabulary of outerwear and why dress is a form of social language. ⁠Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 288: "Derek Guy on the Language of Clothing." With Derek Guy and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. Produced by...

  32. McWhorter vs. McWhorter

    The world was shocked by a controversial article published by "John McWhorter." Here, he sets the record straight. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 287: "McWhorter vs. McWhorter." With John McWhorter. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved. Learn more...

  33. A Toast to Toast

    Raise a glass to browned bread ... now you're toast! Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 286: "A Toast to Toast." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

  34. All the Rage Bait

    Oxford English Dictionary editor Fiona McPherson talks to Mike Vuolo about the terms that caught her attention in 2025. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 285: "All the Rage Bait." With Fiona McPherson and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved. Learn…

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  35. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

    Author John Koenig talks about inventing words for those subtle emotions that hitherto had no name. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 284: "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows." With Bob Garfield, John Koenig, and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom...

  36. 6 7: Everything You Don't Know About the Word of the Year

    Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield join Mike Pesca of The Gist to talk about the long, strange journey of 6 7, from rapper Skrilla to the basketball court, from the classroom to the Word of the Year. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 283: "6 7: Everything You Don't Know About...

  37. Gobbledygook Explained

    Gobbledygook sounds like one of those words that somebody just made up — so is it? Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 282: "Gobbledygook Explained." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more...

  38. Gen Alpha Thinks You're Cringe

    Our parents were cringe-inducing but we're just cringe. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 281: "Gen Alpha Thinks You're Cringe." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad…

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  39. The Amazing Great

    Good is no longer good enough. Everyone is awesome, superlative or just great. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 280: "The Amazing Great." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved. Learn more about your...

  40. It's Been a Minute

    Returning as the primary hosts of Lexicon Valley, Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield speak to John McWhorter about understatement and hyperbole in Black English. Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 279: "It's Been a Minute." With Bob Garfield, John McWhorter, and Mike Vuolo....

  41. Ask Not?

    Richard Tofel, author of Sound the Trumpet: The Making of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, reveals the startling authorship behind JFK’s most famous words. Visit ⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 34: "Ask Not?" With Bob Garfield, Richard Tofel, and Mike Vuolo.…

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  42. The American Accent Came First

    What did English sound like during the Revolutionary War? John has a number of fascinating observations about the way the language was spoken back then — including the accents! Visit ⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 278: "The American Accent Came First." With John...

  43. Oversleeping at the Sleepover

    'Over' isn’t just the opposite of 'under' and 'off' is not necessarily the opposite of 'on.' Visit ⁠Lexicon Valley⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 277: "Oversleeping at the Sleepover." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad...

  44. The Story of Us

    John talks about the subject of his new book from Avery Publishing — ⁠Pronoun Trouble⁠: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words. Visit ⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 276: "The Story of Us." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved....

  45. Fire, Die, Rim

    The Thai words for fire, die and rim sound an awful lot like the English words fire, die and rim. How could that be? Visit ⁠Lexicon Valley⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 275: "Fire, Die, Rim." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights reserved. Learn more about...

  46. Hither and Yon

    Words like thence and thither are all but obsolete in English, but they were actually quite useful!The Thai words for fire, die and rim sound an awful lot like the English words 'fire,' 'die' and 'rim.' How could that be? Visit ⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 274:...

  47. Down the Rabbit Hole

    Do you know the difference between a rabbit and a hare? And what then is a bunny? Follow John through the etymological warrens of these furry creatures. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 273: "Down the Rabbit Hole." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by...

  48. Giving You the Business

    It may seem apparent how we got from busyness to business, but the origins of the word “busy” itself are shrouded in mystery. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 272: "Giving You the Business." With John McWhorter. Produced and edited by Mike Vuolo. All rights...

  49. When Is Code-Switching Inappropriate?

    As a daily listener to WNYC Public Radio in New York City, John has noticed that a certain announcer frequently mispronounces words on air. He has thoughts. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 271: "When Is Code-Switching Inappropriate?" With John McWhorter....

  50. The World's Largest Family

    Working backwards from existing languages, linguists have had great success reconstructing Proto-Indo-European. Does that mean we can do the same for all language families? Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexicon Valley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. A Booksmart Studios production. Episode 270: "The World's Largest Family." With John...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

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

HOSTED BY

Lexicon Valley

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Lexicon Valley have?

Lexicon Valley currently has 324 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Lexicon Valley about?

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

How often does Lexicon Valley release new episodes?

Lexicon Valley publishes regularly with 324 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Lexicon Valley?

You can listen to Lexicon Valley 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 Lexicon Valley?

Lexicon Valley is created and hosted by Lexicon Valley.
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