Episode 122: The Gluten-Free Episode

This week we discuss more medical terms, including MRIs, EKGs, CAT scans and others; and then we proceed to some talk about food sensitivities.

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Cartoon accompaniment:

feint

Links:
Buy the book!
This week’s calendar entry is “feint/faint.”

Episode 121: Medical Terms—Refills, Urgent Care, Vein vs. Artery, Taut vs. Taunt, and Much More

This week we discuss medical terms, including accessible care vs. guaranteed care; fractures, sprains, and strains; Alzheimer’s vs. dementia, and more.

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Cartoon accompaniment:

taut

Links:
Buy the book!
This week’s calendar entry is “taunt/taut/tout.”

Episode 118: The Magi(c) of Christmas

This week we rebroadcast our Christmas episode from 2015.

In the spirit of the Christmas season, Paul Brians calls on his background as a scholar of the Bible and discusses some of the important language in the story of Christmas. Do you know the religious tradition of the Magi? The difference between miracle and magic? Listen to find out.

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Links:
Opening music (Paul Brians’ favorite recording of “We Three Kings”)
The Gift of the Magi,” by O. Henry
Zoroastrianism (Zarathustrianism)
Google search: The Slaughter of the Innocents
Google search: The Miracle of Christmas
Google search: The Magic of Christmas

Episode 117: Holiday Greetings and the War on Christmas

When a would-be suicide bomber attempted a terrorist attack in New York City earlier this month, he said he chose his target because there were Christmas-themed posters nearby. This week on the podcast we talk about the more theoretical  war on Christmas, and we discuss holiday greetings.

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Cartoon accompaniment:

anxious.png

Links:
Buy the book! On sale through the end of the year for just $15.
This week’s calendar entry is “anxious/eager.”

 

Episode 115: Administration, Congress, What Veto Means, and Much More

This week we take up our discussion of terms related to governance and politics. We explore the origin of the word “veto,” talk about filibustering and reconciliation, and more.

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Cartoon accompaniment:

capitol

Links:
Buy the book! On sale through the end of the year for just $15.
This week’s calendar entry is “capital/capitol.”

Episode 114: More on the Book Sale, Plus Thanksgiving Leftovers—“dolly/handcart,” “duck tape/duct tape,” “between you and me,” and Lots More

This week we pick up from last week and serve some Thanksgiving leftovers, including “dolly/handcart,” “duck tape/duct tape,” “between you and me,” and many more entries and cartoons from the book. We also promote the best way to buy the book on sale through the end of the year.

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Cartoon accompaniment (five discussed on the podcast this week):

dolly

risky

shook

everyday

tenderHook

Links:
Buy the book! On sale through the end of the year for just $15.
This week’s calendar entry is “dolly/handcart.”

Episode 113: Giving Thanks for the Book

This week we take a break from our extended discussion of political terms while Tom thanks Paul for creating the Common Errors in English Usage site and book, and Paul thanks Tom for contributing cartoons to the book. We also promote the best way to buy the book on sale through the end of the year. Entries we talk about include “auger/augur,” “all goes well/augurs well,” “hark/harken,” “one in the same/one and the same,” “the exception proves the rule,” “begs the question,” “hone in/home in,” and several others.

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Cartoon accompaniment (three discussed on the podcast this week):

ladybear

scone

deity

Links:
Paul’s mincemeat recipe
Buy the book! On sale through the end of the year for just $15.
This week’s calendar entry is “bare/bear.”