Because Language (becauselangpod)
@becauselanguage.com
A show about linguistics, the science of language. Your hosts (in order of coolness): Hedvig Skirgård, Daniel Midgley, and Ben Ainslie (tie for 2nd).
How do we fit this into our header?
November 8, 2025 at 10:29 AM
How do we fit this into our header?
ICYMI: Transcript is up for our episode with @natanlast.bsky.social about his book "Across the Universe". It's the history of crosswords. Natan is also a constructor, and he tests my mettle!
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
www.patreon.com/posts/transc...
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
www.patreon.com/posts/transc...
Transcript, BL 128: Across the Universe (with Natan Last) | Because Language
Get more from Because Language on Patreon
www.patreon.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:06 PM
ICYMI: Transcript is up for our episode with @natanlast.bsky.social about his book "Across the Universe". It's the history of crosswords. Natan is also a constructor, and he tests my mettle!
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
www.patreon.com/posts/transc...
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
www.patreon.com/posts/transc...
It wouldn't have been enshittification without being enshittification.
I really wish we had a better word for enshittification than 'enshittification.' It is a cromulent fuckcrustable of a word. Truly embarrassing.
November 3, 2025 at 7:30 AM
It wouldn't have been enshittification without being enshittification.
Scarburst
Change one letter, ruin a candy.
Swedish fist
Swedish fist
Change one letter, ruin a candy.
Mars Jars
Mars Jars
October 30, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Scarburst
This popped into my inbox, and it's full of great stuff!
October 30, 2025 at 2:30 AM
This popped into my inbox, and it's full of great stuff!
HERE WE GO
Word of the Year season begins
and it wasn't Collins going first this time
Word of the Year season begins
and it wasn't Collins going first this time
Dictionary.com goes out early with its 2025 Word of the Year …
and it chooses “67,” or “six-seven.”
www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-th...
I had the privilege of running the site's Word of the Year for a few years, so I’ll share some thoughts (that don’t divulge any privileged info).
and it chooses “67,” or “six-seven.”
www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-th...
I had the privilege of running the site's Word of the Year for a few years, so I’ll share some thoughts (that don’t divulge any privileged info).
October 29, 2025 at 10:15 PM
HERE WE GO
Word of the Year season begins
and it wasn't Collins going first this time
Word of the Year season begins
and it wasn't Collins going first this time
Good on him, but we might need to include "orphan-crushing machine" as a #WordOfTheWeek
He's doing great work to save people from the orphan-crushing machine.
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/orphan-...
He's doing great work to save people from the orphan-crushing machine.
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/orphan-...
October 28, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Good on him, but we might need to include "orphan-crushing machine" as a #WordOfTheWeek
He's doing great work to save people from the orphan-crushing machine.
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/orphan-...
He's doing great work to save people from the orphan-crushing machine.
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/orphan-...
He's right. It refers to me.
The most misused word in the English language is "me". Everyone uses it to refer to themselves, but actually, it refers to me.
October 23, 2025 at 5:11 AM
He's right. It refers to me.
Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)
the word “behold” should make a comeback. it’s so confident
October 22, 2025 at 10:20 AM
the word “behold” should make a comeback. it’s so confident
Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)
All deaf and hard of hearing kids deserve to learn sign language, and bodily autonomy with respect to hearing technology.
Do you have any extremely niche, but serious, ethical stances?
October 20, 2025 at 12:43 AM
All deaf and hard of hearing kids deserve to learn sign language, and bodily autonomy with respect to hearing technology.
Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)
So many words on this new episode with Maia Chao!
Including COSY CRIME
Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy
www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...
Including COSY CRIME
Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy
www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...
October 11, 2025 at 6:25 AM
So many words on this new episode with Maia Chao!
Including COSY CRIME
Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy
www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...
Including COSY CRIME
Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy
www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...
protest frog
#WordOfTheWeek
#WordOfTheWeek
Portland’s protest frogs multiplied.
Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight.
Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...
Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...
October 10, 2025 at 9:42 AM
protest frog
#WordOfTheWeek
#WordOfTheWeek
Artist Maia Chao tells us about her show "Oh", an experimental linguistic lecture performance. With Kelly Wright.
Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/
Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/
October 9, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Artist Maia Chao tells us about her show "Oh", an experimental linguistic lecture performance. With Kelly Wright.
Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/
Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/
ENSHITTIFICATION was our Word of the Year in 2024. Catch our interview with Cory Doctorow here!
youtu.be/mq0kSdzSjfc?...
youtu.be/mq0kSdzSjfc?...
October 6, 2025 at 7:06 AM
ENSHITTIFICATION was our Word of the Year in 2024. Catch our interview with Cory Doctorow here!
youtu.be/mq0kSdzSjfc?...
youtu.be/mq0kSdzSjfc?...
stealing this for the Grice lecture thx
allistic people will do phatics all day long and then say that 'be informative' and 'be brief' are communicative maxims
October 5, 2025 at 4:10 AM
stealing this for the Grice lecture thx
A dusty bell went ding in the Because Language offices.
It seems that someone bought a "Chaos Goblin" sticker. If one more person buys one, then there will be two of you!
Irregardless, they're pretty great. Go see our designs.
www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1688...
It seems that someone bought a "Chaos Goblin" sticker. If one more person buys one, then there will be two of you!
Irregardless, they're pretty great. Go see our designs.
www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1688...
Linguistic Chaos Goblin: Irregardless! by Because Language shop | Redbubble
What's the matter with "irregardless"? It's a mashup of two great words — irrespective and regardless — that makes something way way better! If you're a linguistic chaos goblin, that is. Drawing by Tr...
www.redbubble.com
October 5, 2025 at 1:27 AM
A dusty bell went ding in the Because Language offices.
It seems that someone bought a "Chaos Goblin" sticker. If one more person buys one, then there will be two of you!
Irregardless, they're pretty great. Go see our designs.
www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1688...
It seems that someone bought a "Chaos Goblin" sticker. If one more person buys one, then there will be two of you!
Irregardless, they're pretty great. Go see our designs.
www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1688...
Kavanaugh Stop - "Brief detainment by lawless masked federal agents inflicting serious bodily injury, followed by weeks in a makeshift shithole overcrowded jail, and then being flown in the dark of night to a slave prison in some other country after which your name is disappeared from all records."
October 3, 2025 at 11:47 AM
It’s very simple. NOT is being used here as an intensifier, where each NOT strengthens the force of the negation.
You know, like Spanish does.
You know, like Spanish does.
Former racecar driver Danica Patrick slams Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl 2026 halftime headliner:
“No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year… not just for sports.”
“No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year… not just for sports.”
October 3, 2025 at 11:42 AM
It’s very simple. NOT is being used here as an intensifier, where each NOT strengthens the force of the negation.
You know, like Spanish does.
You know, like Spanish does.
Yes! It finally happened!
8yo: Dad, what does IYKYK stand for?
Me: (conspiratorial head gesture) If you know, you know.
8yo: Daaad, tell me what it stands for.
(followed by five more increasingly irritated iterations of this, until she finally got it)
Peak dad moment.
8yo: Dad, what does IYKYK stand for?
Me: (conspiratorial head gesture) If you know, you know.
8yo: Daaad, tell me what it stands for.
(followed by five more increasingly irritated iterations of this, until she finally got it)
Peak dad moment.
October 3, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Yes! It finally happened!
8yo: Dad, what does IYKYK stand for?
Me: (conspiratorial head gesture) If you know, you know.
8yo: Daaad, tell me what it stands for.
(followed by five more increasingly irritated iterations of this, until she finally got it)
Peak dad moment.
8yo: Dad, what does IYKYK stand for?
Me: (conspiratorial head gesture) If you know, you know.
8yo: Daaad, tell me what it stands for.
(followed by five more increasingly irritated iterations of this, until she finally got it)
Peak dad moment.
Hear me out: it depends on the stress.
FRENCH fries we know about. They are tasty but not that sexy.
But French FRIES: possibly more sexy potential?
FRENCH fries we know about. They are tasty but not that sexy.
But French FRIES: possibly more sexy potential?
someone one said that if you put "French" before anything it makes it sexy, ie. "French postcards," "French theory."
The exception would be "fries."
The exception would be "fries."
September 30, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Hear me out: it depends on the stress.
FRENCH fries we know about. They are tasty but not that sexy.
But French FRIES: possibly more sexy potential?
FRENCH fries we know about. They are tasty but not that sexy.
But French FRIES: possibly more sexy potential?
Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)
Revealing new insights into how the mind represents and processes language, this book gives a full overview of linguistic illusions.
Linguistic Illusions by Dan Parker, Coming Soon
#LangSky #Linguistics 🐦🐦
https://cup.org/4mwHEnC
Linguistic Illusions by Dan Parker, Coming Soon
#LangSky #Linguistics 🐦🐦
https://cup.org/4mwHEnC
September 29, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Revealing new insights into how the mind represents and processes language, this book gives a full overview of linguistic illusions.
Linguistic Illusions by Dan Parker, Coming Soon
#LangSky #Linguistics 🐦🐦
https://cup.org/4mwHEnC
Linguistic Illusions by Dan Parker, Coming Soon
#LangSky #Linguistics 🐦🐦
https://cup.org/4mwHEnC
Patrons at the Listener level can hear our new bonus episode with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social !
Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.
www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...
Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.
www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...
September 30, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Patrons at the Listener level can hear our new bonus episode with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social !
Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.
www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...
Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.
www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...
One day I will find a way to tell people to knock off the grammar scolding, in a way that doesn't make everyone arc up and attack me.
But today is not that day! 😈
But today is not that day! 😈
September 30, 2025 at 1:09 AM
One day I will find a way to tell people to knock off the grammar scolding, in a way that doesn't make everyone arc up and attack me.
But today is not that day! 😈
But today is not that day! 😈
What one thing explains the most about language?
We put this question to our listeners, and also to Mark Ellison, and we got some really good answers!
Come watch or listen. We'll be out on the deck.
It was a bonus episode, but now it is freeeeeeee
becauselanguage.com/106-what-one...
We put this question to our listeners, and also to Mark Ellison, and we got some really good answers!
Come watch or listen. We'll be out on the deck.
It was a bonus episode, but now it is freeeeeeee
becauselanguage.com/106-what-one...
106: What One Thing? (with Mark Ellison) – Because Language
becauselanguage.com
September 27, 2025 at 4:50 AM
What one thing explains the most about language?
We put this question to our listeners, and also to Mark Ellison, and we got some really good answers!
Come watch or listen. We'll be out on the deck.
It was a bonus episode, but now it is freeeeeeee
becauselanguage.com/106-what-one...
We put this question to our listeners, and also to Mark Ellison, and we got some really good answers!
Come watch or listen. We'll be out on the deck.
It was a bonus episode, but now it is freeeeeeee
becauselanguage.com/106-what-one...