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From the creator of The English Sessions comes Get the Word! An etymology podcast for word nerds. Join Mike as he picks apart words and phrases in English and lets you peek into his Fact Cabinet. More information and audio transcripts are available at https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/
If you are interested in ad-free episodes as well as occasional bonus content, you can show your love by subscribing to the podcast here: https://anchor.fm/get-the-word/subscribe (only $0.99 per month!)
Here's an exclusive sneak peek of the latest episode of This Day's Trivia, before it's officially released. This Day's Trivia is the latest podcast from Bison Podcast Studios. Search for "This Day's Trivia" on your podcast player of choice, today!
About This Day's Trivia:
From geography to history, plants and animals, science, and so much more...
Welcome to This Day’s Trivia from Bison Podcast Studios. Every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday, we choose five unique trivia topics, all tied to
the day’s date, and our trusty randomizer wheel will pick one of those
topics for the episode.
Looking for archived material from The English Sessions? Head on over to
https://www.patreon.com/BisonPodcastStudios for The English Sessionshttps://www.patreon.com/BisonPodcastStudios for The English Sessions (https://www.patreon.com/BisonPodcastStudios for The English Sessions),
as well as Get the Word! with Mike Butler episodes. Want more from This
Day’s Trivia? Our Patreon page will also include ad-free episodes of
TDT, as well as audio transcripts and links to sources for deeper dives
into the topics. Are you an English learner used to Mike’s clear,
friendly voice in your ear? Use this trivia podcast, along with the
transcript of the audio on the Patreon page, to help with your
English... and to test your trivia skills!
Write in to the podcast with questions, comments, concerns, tips, your
birthday, or anything else you want to talk about. Send a voice
recording and I’ll play it on the podcast. Give a topic suggestion and
I’ll use it on the show. For my English learners, write in to get
clarification about something I said.
25 Nov 2021
Nostalgia Is the Most Morrissey Impulse
This is a special episode. The word we'll be picking apart today is 'nostalgia'. But this isn't your typical Get the Word! episode. It's an interview with the great Naomi Carmack of the Dope Nostalgia podcast. We discuss the origin and history of the word 'nostalgia', as well as what it means to us, and how it has shaped us and culture in general. We also discuss the music artist Morrissey quite a bit, as that is the tie-in to her podcast, Dope Nostalgia, about 90's music and culture. Find links below to Naomi's podcast, as well as the version of the interview on her end, which includes some Morrissey tunes. Sorry, there is no audio transcript for this episode.
Links:
Dope Nostalgia (https://www.dopenostalgia.com/)
Interview (https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-98-59036965)
Show Notes (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/11/get-word-episode-nostalgia-is-most.html)
18 Sept 2021
Come Eat the Rich with Get the Word!
Hey everyone! Mike here about to tell everyone to go eat the rich. Now before you go on assuming that this podcast has totally just gone off the rails and has turned into my soapbox for spewing my views on oligarchy within an ever growing destructive, unjust and immoral global system of capitalism, well… BEFORE you assume that, consider this:
There is an interesting history to this phrase that dates all the way back to the French Revolution. It’s still an etymology episode.
But yes, I will admit, I’ve been thinking a lot about this phrase and inequality in recent weeks, after seeing headlines about billionaires launching their rockets in space for what amounts to little more than cosmic joyrides...
The full audio transcript is now available exclusively to Patreon supporters of The English Sessions: www.patreon.com/theenglishsessions (https://www.patreon.com/theenglishsessions)
11 Sept 2021
Bon Voyage Mon Amour
Bonjour fellow word nerds. It’s Mike. I apologize already to any of my French listeners. Bonjour and Bon Voyage will be pretty much the only French words I speak today. I also apologize for starting right off the bat with the most stereotypical French music I could find. In all reality, I love French culture, French films and I love the influence that French has had on the English language.
In English we see many words that have derived from French throughout the centuries, of course, but we also sometimes use words and expressions when speaking English that are taken directly from French. Déjà vu comes to my mind right away. This term appears in English dictionaries, and is taken directly from French meaning ‘already seen’. Déjà vu comes to my mind right away. This term appears in English dictionaries, and is taken directly from French meaning ‘already seen’.
The full audio transcript is now available exclusively to Patreon supporters of The English Sessions: www.patreon.com/theenglishsessions (//www.patreon.com/theenglishsessions)
5 Sept 2021
Fate or Destiny?
Greetings nerds. It’s Mike, host of Get the Word! Don’t worry, I’m a nerd too so… I mean it as a term of endearment. I’ve always been a nerd. I guess it was just my fate. Or was it my destiny? Hmmm. In this episode we’ll dive into both words to figure out the best word to choose.
In a recent session with a student of mine, I was asked the question: “What is the difference between fate and destiny?”. I didn’t have a good answer! I felt as dumb as a computer terminal with no independent processing capability.
I felt as dumb as the contestants on the great trivia podcast Go Fact Yourself during their What’s the Difference round. Big thanks to Helen Hong and J. Keith van Straaten over at Go Fact Yourself for plugging Get the Word! in a recent episode. I paid them to, but either way much appreciated.
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/09/get-word-podcast-episode-fate-or-destiny.html (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/09/get-word-podcast-episode-fate-or-destiny.html)
28 Aug 2021
Homeopathic Not Home Remedy
Greetings friends. This is Get the Word! with Mike Butler. An etymology podcast for word nerds. I am your host, Mike Butler. Today we’re talking about a word that’s often misused, and misunderstood. Homeopathy. I want to start off by saying that this term ‘homeopathy’ or ‘homeopathic’, which is its related adjective, is not just another way to say ’natural’ or ‘alternative’ medicine. It’s something very specific. Yes, it is a form of alternative medicine, but it is not itself a synonym for alternative medicine.
Today we’ll get into the history of how this term came to be, and of course we’ll pick apart the word syllable by syllable. We’ll also discuss homeopathy a bit to try to clear up any confusion around it.
22 Aug 2021
Gaslighting
Hi, everyone. It’s Mike. I’m going to talk today about the word gaslight. The term, as a verb, as an action, is no laughing matter, so I’m not going to joke around much in today’s episode. Gaslighting is very real and many have gone through it. Unfortunately, it’s often hard to know that it is happening to you. It is a form of manipulation through psychological means whereby the abuser convinces the victim into questioning their own sanity. Its motivation often centers around harmful and unethical power dynamics and is a means of controlling another human being.
Many have heard this term before, but did you know that the term comes from a popular work of fiction from not that long ago in the grand scheme of things?
An audio transcript of today's episode can be found on the website, at www.englishsessionswithmike.com (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/08/get-word-podcast-episode-gaslighting.html)
15 Aug 2021
Good Podcast, Gumshoe
It’s Mike. I was just gabbing recently about how I should probably start covering words and phrases that are trending right now in popular media. “What a great way to get the word out about Get the Word!”, I thought to myself. People are already hearing a word or phrase being used all the time right now, so they will be more interested in learning about the origin and history of that word or phrase specifically. A great idea indeed. It would be a great thing to do, sure...
Instead, I’m going to talk about a word that I never really hear anybody say anymore. Gumshoe. Just as popular today as saying moving picture for ‘movie’ or putting a hyphen between the words ‘to’ and ‘morrow’.
Audio transcript on the website, www.englishsessionswithmike.com (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/08/get-word-podcast-episode-good-podcast.html)
8 Aug 2021
Two Ships that Pass in the Night
Ahoy there all my nerdy friends. It’s Mike. Fancy spotting you here in the endless podcast sea. Today we’re talking about an idiom, or idiomatic expression. What’s that? It’s a phrase with a meaning that is not clear just looking at the individual words, or by its literal meaning. My Two Cents was another episode about an idiomatic expression. Today since we’re here floating on the waters of the sea of etymology, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the origin of the phrase ‘ships passing in the night’.
Make sure to go over to the website. I have included a video from the National Park Service: https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/08/get-word-podcast-episode-two-ships-that.html (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/08/get-word-podcast-episode-two-ships-that.html)
1 Aug 2021
Feelin' Groovy with Get the Word!
Hi everyone, it’s Mike. Today we’re talking about a word that most would argue is definitely past its peak popularity. Groovy. We’ll look at the interesting origin of this word and also why we have seen a resurgence in popularity of the word groovy over recent decades.
Let’s start with the definition. The most common uses of groovy are standing in for words like excellent, enjoyable, exciting…. There are about a million synonyms for groovy, but I’ll narrow it down to just some of my favorites: awesome; dynamite; cool; primo; radical; righteous; stellar. You get the idea...
Make sure to go to the website, ( www.englishsessionswithmike.com (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/07/get-word-podcast-episode-feelin-groovy.html) ) for some embedded videos of songs mentioned in the podcast today, and for the audio transcript, as always.
24 Jul 2021
Have You Been ben the Ben of a But 'n' Ben?
Hello everyone. It’s Mike, your host of Get the Word! an etymology podcast for word nerds. I’m also an ESL teacher. I guide people through their journey of learning the English language. On a regular basis, I end up being the one learning new words from my students. Today’s word for our podcast episode is one of those words that I learned from a student of mine. Ben.
Audio transcript: https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/07/get-word-podcast-episode-have-you-been.html (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/07/get-word-podcast-episode-have-you-been.html)
17 Jul 2021
Are You a Nuisance with Your Two Cents?
Welcome everyone to another episode of Get the Word! I am your host Mike Butler. In a recent episode I used the phrase My Two Cents in a joke about the four penny coffins mentioned in the hangover episode. It got me thinkin’, how far back can I trace the use of this phrase, ‘my two cents’? So that’s what we’re going to dive into today.
Let’s start with what it means. My Two Cents is a phrase that some people say when they want to give their opinion on something, often when it’s not asked for. Here, I’ll use it in a sentence: "I’m always putting in my two cents, even though no one ever asks for my opinion".
Audio transcript at: https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/ (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/07/get-word-podcast-episode-are-you.html)
11 Jul 2021
Another Skaturday Night (and I Ain't Got No Trilby)
Welcome to another episode of Get the Word! everyone. This one’s for all you skins and rudies out there. It’s about the origin of the word ‘ska’.
Ska is a type of music with a very danceable beat. Some of the distinctive elements of the ska rhythm are a walking bass line, an uptempo speed and a strong offbeat which you can hear in the background of this episode today.
Let’s get a little background first before we try to pinpoint who coined this term.
Before we begin our journey, I highly recommend that you head on over to the English Sessions website for the transcript of this episode, where I will be sprinkling in many different video clips as we explore ska today: https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/07/get-word-podcast-episode-another.html (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/07/get-word-podcast-episode-another.html)
3 Jul 2021
(Hopefully) Better than Lodging at the Twopenny Hangover
Hello everyone. It’s Mike, your host of Get the Word! It’s July 3rd and that means it’s a holiday weekend here in the United States, celebrating our independence from Britain. That’s not what I want to talk about today though. Rather I’m going to talk about the word ‘hangover’, in anticipation of a potential hangover this weekend from having a bit too much fun watching all the fireworks and cookin’ up some tofu wieners...
For the full transcript of this audio, please go to the English Sessions website: https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/
27 Jun 2021
Opening up the Fact Cabinet with a Rooster Bar
This week we’re looking at the word ‘crow’. We’ll start with the word crow and its different meanings, and then talk about a few terms, phrases and other words in which we see crow appear. Words like crowbar. Terms like Jim Crow. We’ll discuss how the word ‘crow’ became associated with the Apsáaloke tribe and talk about the Crow language and the people who are keeping it alive.
An audio transcript of this episode can be found on https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/ (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/06/get-word-podcast-episode-opening-up.html)
19 Jun 2021
Is That Resting Bitch Face or Are You Just Unhappy to See Me?
-- STRONG LANGUAGE WARNING --
Hello everyone it’s Mike, your host of Get the Word! an etymology podcast for word nerds. This week I couldn’t stop reflecting on a phrase we talked about last week in our episode on antidisestablishmentarianism. It’s the phrase Resting Bitch Face...
Go to https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/ (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/06/get-word-podcast-episode-is-that.html) for an audio transcript of this episode.
If you are interested in ad-free episodes as well as occasional bonus content, you can show your love by subscribing to the podcast here: anchor.fm/get-the-word/subscribe (https://anchor.fm/get-the-word/subscribe) (only $0.99 per month!)
12 Jun 2021
That Time I Spray-painted Antidisestablishmentarianism on the Side of My Van
Welcome everyone. I’m your host and fellow word nerd, Mike Butler. This week’s episode features a word often included in lists of the longest words in English. Antidisestablishmentarianism...
Audio transcript on the website, https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/ (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/2021/06/get-word-podcast-episode-that-time-i.html)
5 Jun 2021
A Perfectly Cromulent Podcast Launch
Welcome to the first episode of Get the Word! An etymology podcast for word nerds. We’ll talk about the history and origin of words in English. If you’re coming over from The English Sessions, well, then I’ll give you even bigger welcome, loyal listener. The English Sessions is the podcast I’ve been doing for a while now, for English learners, and is where Get the Word! was first conceived.
I decided to make Get the Word! its own podcast, since I started to realize I was making content more for native English speakers with these etymology episodes, which seemed to warrant its own feed. Don’t worry though, for those of you who are English learners, there will still be transcripts of the episodes on the website. Look for details in the show notes.
… and I wanted to start off with a fun one, focusing on a word that perhaps you’ve never heard before. Cromulent.
SHOW NOTES @ www.englishsessionswithmike.com (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/)
30 May 2021
Get the Word! Trailer
From the creator of The English Sessions comes Get the Word! An etymology podcast for word nerds. Join Mike as he picks apart words and phrases in English and lets you peek into his Fact Cabinet. More information and audio transcripts are available at www.englishsessionswithmike.com (https://www.englishsessionswithmike.com/)
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