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179. Andy Quiz
179. Andy Quiz
It's the annual etymology quizlusionist! I’m on a family holiday for the first time since 1988, so enlisted my brother A... Read more
12 Aug 2023
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31mins
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178. Uranus
178. Uranus
Have you ever wondered why the planets in our solar system are all named after Roman deities, except two of them? One of... Read more
24 Jun 2023
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27mins
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Tranquillusionist: Gay Animals
Tranquillusionist: Gay Animals
This is the Tranquillusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, say a load of words which aren’t really about anything, so th... Read more
9 Jun 2023
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26mins
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177. Fat part 2
177. Fat part 2
“The starting point is, and the research questions are all framed by: 'We know it's terrible to be fat, but how terrible... Read more
25 May 2023
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47mins
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176. Fat part 1
176. Fat part 1
It should just be an accurate descriptor of my body, but the word 'fat' has shaped so much more of my life, and our soci... Read more
12 May 2023
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29mins
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175. Eurovision part 2
175. Eurovision part 2
Oh, you thought the Eurovision Song Contest was about songs? Or a fun international TV event that brings people together... Read more
21 Apr 2023
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33mins
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174. Eurovision part 1
174. Eurovision part 1
There aren't many multilingual, multinational television shows that have been running for nearly seven decades. But what... Read more
7 Apr 2023
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32mins
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173. Death
173. Death
"You can't redead the dead by you saying something shit," says Cariad Lloyd of Griefcast and author of You Are Not Alone... Read more
24 Mar 2023
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47mins
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172. A Brief History of Brazilian Portuguese
172. A Brief History of Brazilian Portuguese
"The myths, or the received wisdom, about Portuguese language in Brazil is that, of course we know we speak a very diffe... Read more
10 Mar 2023
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40mins
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171. Supplantation
171. Supplantation
Last episode, I mentioned that in London, Ontario, in 2019 a 9-year-old named Lyla Wheeler had launched a petition to re... Read more
24 Feb 2023
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29mins