The Allusionist

Today’s episode is something a bit different to usual. A few months ago, I was a guest on the podcast ( crow funerals !).  Alie interviewed me as an etymologist (I’m not a qualified etymologist, mind; just an enthusiast), and we cover etymologies of words including ‘buxom’, ‘mediocre’, ‘coccyx’, ‘lacuna’, bust some etymological myths, discuss some broader attitudes towards language, and wonder why so many people hate the word ‘moist’. Here’s some of our conversation; you can hear the full-length version on . There are a couple of swears in it, including what Alie calls ‘the Swiss Army Knife of cussing’. Visit . The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Find them all at The Allusionist's online home is . This month, the Allusionist is sponsored by: • , and use the code ALLUSIONIST for 10% off your first month. •  and get 20% off your first purchase. •  for a free trial, and use the code ALLUSION to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. •  to find out more, and text ALLUSIONIST to 484848 to try it for free.

For your last Allusionist of 2019, here is a quiz all about words for you to play along with as you listen. Get a pen and paper to jot down your answers, or there’s an interactive answer form all ready for you at theallusionist.org/2019quiz. Let me know how you score in the quiz a at . The show will be back in January 2020. For all Allusionist episodes, extra material, transcripts, merch etc, visit . If you enjoyed this quiz, you can also play the 2018 quiz at theallusionist.org/2018quiz. The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Support our work by making a donation at , and along with the warm glow of satisfaction at helping us make more of the podcasts you like, you can get such rewards as challenge coins, stickers, AND an audio recording of the Allusionist 2019 live show No Title! Yours for a one-off donation of $4.35. I wanted a numerical amount that looked like a word, and 435 is pretty much YES in calculator font, plus 80085 seemed too expensive. Anyway, go and pledge for it at radiotopia.fm! This month, the Allusionist is sponsored by: • , and use the code ALLUSIONIST for 10% off your first month. •  and get 20% off your first purchase. •  for a free trial, and use the code ALLUSION to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

To celebrate Radiotopia’s fundraiser, here’s a special episode about the word that brought us all together… aaand a lot of you hate it. This piece was recorded in front of a live audience at PodCon in Seattle. If you love podcasts, or more specifically this podcast, or slightly less specifically but still quite specifically the podcasts in the Radiotopia collective, get involved by making a donation at ! You can get swag that’s exclusive to this fundraiser, or just purchase the glow of satisfaction at funding the audiotainment we make. Get your regular dose of the Allusionist at .

Words engraved into metal are intended to last, though you don’t know who in the future is going to be reading them - your grandchildren wearing your wedding ring, the stranger who found your long-lost multitool, yourself at a time of need. Steven Yardley of , who reports this episode, had words engraved into his ring to remind him of his reality when others threaten to ruin it. Go to . The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest independent podcasts. Support our work by making a donation at , and get such rewards as challenge coins, stickers, and the glow of satisfaction of helping us make more of the podcasts you like. The Allusionist's online home is . This month, the Allusionist is sponsored by: • , and use the code ALLUSIONIST for 10% off your first month. •  and get 20% off your first purchase. •  for a free trial, and use the code ALLUSION to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

When Dave Nadelberg of Mortified used to visit his mother’s grave, he would look around at the nearby gravestones and see similar - or even the exact same - epitaphs for lots of different people. And it made him curious: who were these people, really? What were their personalities, what happened in their lives? And didn’t they deserve something more meaningful, more personal, than these bland and repetitive epitaphs? So when Dave’s father died a few years later, Dave was determined to choose better words to represent him in perpetuity. Go to to read more about this episode and find a transcript. Dave Nadelberg is the founder of Mortified: find the podcast, live events, books, TV series and documentary at . The Allusionist's online home is . The Allusionist live show No Title is on tour in North America - for all event listings, visit . The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a collective of the finest podcasts on the interwaves. Find them at . This month, the Allusionist is sponsored by: • and enter the code ALLUSIONIST10 at checkout. • , and use the code ALLUSIONIST for 10% off your first month. •  and get 20% off your first purchase. •  to find out more, and text ALLUSIONIST to 484848 to try it for free. •  for a free trial, and use the code ALLUSION to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.