Don’t take words for granted. But do take Words for Granted.

What can that possibly mean?

Words for Granted is a pop-linguistics “podcast about how words change over time,” in their own words. They’re going strong at 83 episodes so far. The host, Ray Belli, says “I am by no means a linguist,” and it sometimes shows — for better or for worse. The plus side is that the episodes are always accessible to non-linguists; you’ll never find them too technical. The minus side is that there are many small unforced errors, never severe enough to damage his point but occasionally annoying to real linguists. Although the podcast is a one-man effort, Belli sometimes has guests who provide both a change of voice and welcome expertise. All in all, it’s entertaining and informative — definitely worth it.

Each episode has a single theme, but often that theme or related topics will continue through two or more episodes. For example, here are the 12 most recent topics:

72. Mama/mom
73. Papa/dada/father
74. Sibling
75. Grandmother/grandfather
76. Wife
77. Gothic
78. Bohemian
79. Philistine
80. Cannibal
81. Idioms (general overview)
82. In a pickle
83. Apple of the eye

Categories: Linguistics