Word Mall: a podcast about the English language. | Podcast on RSS.com

Word Mall: a podcast about the English language.

Word Mall: a podcast about the English language.

by Michael J Sheehan at wordmallpodcast@gmail.com

Language Learning

Season 1

250th Anniversary

Various ways to say 250 in formal or academic language as we observe the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Dangling Modifiers

Dangling modifiers occur in English because it is an analytic language -- meaning depends on word position.

HALF A LOAF

The word bread is hidden the early meanings of many words, showing its importance.

Irish Bulls

Unintentional humor caused by incongruity or logical absurdity

Names that suit their profession

Certain names are very suitable to the job. For instance, Doctors Fillar, Aichen, and Chiew are dentists; Justice, Robb, and Law are lawyers; and researchers Haddock, Bass, and Herring are oceanographers.

Language Myths 8: The Whole Nine Yards

The Holy Grail of phrase origins -- everyone has a favorite explanation in the search

LANGUAGE MYTHS 7: Son of a Gun, Spud, Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater, Tip, Turn the Tables, Wallop

Part of a series about false explanations for proverbial words and phrase.

Language Myths # 6: Saved by the bell, Shit, Sincere, Skins, Sleep tight, Snob

Again, more phony tales about the origin of popular words and phrase, with corrections.

Language Myths 5: Not Enough Room to Swing a Dead Cat, Not Playing with a Full Deck, Not Worth a Tinker's Damn, Posh, Rule of Thumb

Even more phony explanations of how words and phrases originated.

Language Myths #4: Keep your nose to the grindstone, Let the cat out of the bag, Losing face, Mind your own beeswax, News

More of the many language myths found on the internet about the origin of popular words and phrases

1 of 3