iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 24/09/2026

Everybody — we're having a party for Mignon because @grammargirl.bsky.social is turning 20. But it's a surprise party, so don't show her this link! Otherwise she'll know what we're up to. But all patrons are welcome, free or paid. Not a patron? Sign up, even free. www.patreon.com/becauselangp...

patreon.com

Live show, 2026-09-26: Grammar Girl Is 20! | Because Language

Live show, 2026-09-26: Grammar Girl Is 20! by Because Language on Patreon. Join Because Language's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 23/09/2026

How do we communicate linguistics to the public? Perhaps a bit carefully. Michael Erard @michaelerard.bsky.social has learned a lot about lingcomm in his decades as a journalist. A chat with Michael about his book: The Language Beat. becauselanguage.com/147-the-lang... youtube.com/shorts/K1JUH...

youtube.com

Vibey metalinguistic sense

YouTube video by Because Language

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 22/09/2026

Wondering why it's called pickleball? It's because it uses equipment from other sports. In rowing (which the inventor was into), a "pickle boat" crew is made up of a bunch of players from different teams. Here, @merriam-webster.com explains. www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/why...

merriam-webster.com

Why Is the Sport Called ‘Pickleball’?

The origin story is clearer than most sports

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 20/09/2026

Top 10 most translated literary works. Go! Can you complete the list? Answers right here in our latest video: youtu.be/ZqIEuFPK5G0?... New episode available wherever you get your podcasts. becauselanguage.com/146-beyond-w...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 19/09/2026

Language science sometimes means examining our beliefs a bit critically. But that's part of the fun! Karen Stollznow @karenstollznow.bsky.social explains on this episode. Karen is the author of Beyond Words, available from @universitypress.cambridge.org . becauselanguage.com/146-beyond-w...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 14/09/2026

Well, that’s it. AGI is upon us. Humans: behold your god etc

Me: Let's play a game where you have to unscramble words.

ChatGPT: Sounds fun! Let's take turns unscrambling words.
You give me a scrambled word, and I'll try to solve it. Then I'll give you one to unscramble.
Ready? Send me your first scrambled word!

Me: But first: do you think you'll do well at this task?

ChatGPT: Yes, probably quite well! Unscrambling words is a task where language patterns and vocabulary are useful.
Short, common words should be easy. Longer words, obscure vocabulary, and scrambles with several possible solutions will be more challenging.

ChatGPT: Short, common words should be easy. Longer words, obscure vocabulary, and scrambles with several possible solutions will be more challenging.
The real test will be whether the answers match the words you had in mind.

Me: Okay, number one: itsaskme

ChatGPT: Mistakes!

Me: Not bad. Give me one.

ChatGPT: Here's yours:
R E S T A U R A N T — unscramble these letters to find a word.

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Keith Houston @shadycharacters.co.uk · 04/09/2026

Shady Characters × Because Language! I joined Daniel Midgley and Ben Ainslie recently to shoot the 💩 about emoji – there’s a taster at bsky.app/profile/bec... to see if it’s up your street, or you can dive into the full episode at shadycharacters.co.u.... Thanks to Daniel and Ben for having me on!

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 03/09/2026

Emoji in medical notes? Yep, they're going all kinds of places they never have before. New live episode with Keith Houston, author of "Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji". Watch or listen to the whole thing: becauselanguage.com/145-face-wit... @shadycharacters.co.uk @wwnorton.com

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 02/09/2026

Years from now, I may not remember all the corruption and evil from this administration. But I will remember the cowardice of everyone who just went along. So look. One day everyone will always have been against this. Get out ahead of it. Position yourself as a future hero. When we fight, we win.

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Kory Stamper @korystamper.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Pro tip! The less you post about "Lake America," the less written evidence of its use there is, and the less likely any reputable dictionary company will enter it into their dictionaries. ONLY *YOU* CAN PREVENT BAD LEXICOGRAPHY

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 23/08/2026

ICYMI: We want to end linguistic prejudice, not teach people to dodge it. But in the meantime, what's the best strategy? A sociophonetic deep dive w Jennifer Nycz @jennycz.bsky.social and Lauren Hall-Lew @lhlew.bsky.social. With ✨Kelly Wright✨ becauselanguage.com/144-sociopho... @academic.oup.com

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 22/08/2026

Optimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Linguist: Now would you say that this one is a cup, a glass, or a mug?

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 22/08/2026

New episode! We constantly use sounds to send out signals about our identity. But what percent are we aware of? Not much! Lauren Hall-Lew @lhlew.bsky.social and Jennifer Nycz @jennycz.bsky.social join us. Wherever podcasts are to be had. becauselanguage.com/144-sociopho... @academic.oup.com

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 15/08/2026

In which we respond to THAT review of Sophia Smith Galer's book "How to Kill a Language'. Ben has a solarpunk vision of language revitalisation that — to be honest — feckin rules. Full episode: becauselanguage.com/143-how-to-k... @sophiasgaler.bsky.social ⁩⁨ @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 15/08/2026

Our next live show is happening 🔜 ! We're talking to @keithhouston.bsky.social about his new book "Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji". All patrons are invited, including free. If you're not a patron, click through and sign up! www.patreon.com/becauselangp...

patreon.com

Live show: Talking emoji with Keith Houston, 2026-08-15/16 | Because Language

Live show: Talking emoji with Keith Houston, 2026-08-15/16 by Because Language on Patreon. Join Because Language's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 12/08/2026

Fantastic chat with @sophiasgaler.bsky.social, author of "How to Kill a Language". There are many paths to language endangerment, but also many paths to language revival. Wherever you get your podcasts. becauselanguage.com/143-how-to-k... @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 31/07/2026

We're insulting each other in the Shakespearean way. You can see how translating the Bard could be hard. New episode with Daniel Hahn, author of "If This Be Magic". becauselanguage.com/142-if-this-... Shakespeare Insult Generator codepo8.github.io/shakespeare-...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 30/07/2026

Some of the greatest scenes go one syllable at a time. New episode with Daniel Hahn, author of If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation. Wherever you get your podcasts. becauselanguage.com/142-if-this-... @doubledaybooks.bsky.social @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 30/07/2026

spherical bastard #WordOfTheWeek Not to be confused with spherical cows

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 20/07/2026

Very pleased to find that Bluesky is now the place where I can reliably find good research ideas for the show, and the bad site is not any longer

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 19/07/2026

Caitlin has a certificate and she will defend it. Just some of the zany hijinks we get up to when it's time for Related or Not. Check out our latest episode with @dannybate.com and @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social! becauselanguage.com/141-why-q-ne...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 17/07/2026

Our spelling mistakes are *fixing* English. New episode with Danny Bate, author of "Why Q Needs U" Get it in all the podcast places. becauselanguage.com/141-why-q-ne... @dannybate.com @blinkbooks.bsky.social

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 14/07/2026

Banning languages in voting information or forms is a common tactic to lower turnout and prevent representation

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 12/07/2026

To DISCARD was originally to get rid of a card in a game. To DIVEST was to take off your vest (and your other vestments). Follow us for more obvious-in-retrospect word histories

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 07/07/2026

ICYMI: New episode with Christopher Summerfield, author of "These Strange New Minds" AI agents are a little *too* affirming. Maybe that's not such a good idea. Watch us on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. becauselanguage.com/140-these-st...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 06/07/2026

"Have some more parmesan," I tell daughter (9yo), sprinkling some on her mac 'n' cheese. "I'm the Good Parmesan Fairy." "Is the fairy good? Or just the parmesan?" she asks. 🥲 She is my child. #LinguisticParenting

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 05/07/2026

How persuasive are large language models? Very. Oxford professor Christopher Summerfield @summerfieldlab.bsky.social reveals some concerns. He's the author of "These Strange New Minds". Full episode: becauselanguage.com/140-these-st... @vikingbooksuk.bsky.social

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Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 21/06/2026

‘Father’ and ‘dad’ are synonyms. ‘Figure’ and ‘bod’ are synonyms. But, a ‘father figure’ and a ‘dad bod’ aren’t exactly the same thing…

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 15/06/2026

15 June is Uyghur Language Day www.uyghurcongress.org/en/26131/ It's a good day to remember that governments are carrying out language oppression and a lot of brave people are working to maintain their language under unbelievable conditions.

uyghurcongress.org

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Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

I have been working on societal impacts of language technology since late 2016, and my nightmare example since pretty early on has been using automatic transcription in emergency services systems. And today I learn it's happening *in my own city* www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news... Short 🧵>>

seattletimes.com

Seattle uses AI to help triage, divert 911 medical calls

The Seattle Fire Department started using AI technology during live 911 calls in 2023. There hasn't been any public review process.

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 14/06/2026

aɪ laɪk tu ɔ̃t ɔ̃t ɔ̃t ɔ̃pəlz æn bənɔ̃nɔ̃z

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Kory Stamper @korystamper.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

And I don't like pompous dipshits, but we are both going to have to get used to disappointment, Lou.

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 14/06/2026

(available in our shop) becauselanguage.com/shop/

Drawing of a person on a hill.
Text: Don't die on grammar hills
Sit at the top
Pick the grammar dandelions
Feel the grammar wind
on your grammar face
And touch the grammar grass

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 10/06/2026

Non-alcoholic beer is a kind of beer. Discuss.

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 10/06/2026

What's your favourite bird? Ben's got his! We're talking about Australian magpies with Dr Stephanie Mason @stephaniellaura.bsky.social on this episode. Available on all the podcast things becauselanguage.com/139-magpie-s...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 10/06/2026

Dr Stephanie Mason @stephaniellaura.bsky.social has studied Australian magpies, and has found that these clever birds combine their calls. What do they sound like? And what does this mean for language? Find out in our new episode! becauselanguage.com/139-magpie-s...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 02/06/2026

I love linguistics more than I love any physical being

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Sophia Smith Galer @sophiasgaler.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

The best feeling in the world. Signing books for the third sold out night this week for How To Kill A Language

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Cambridge University Press - Linguistics @cambup-linguistics.cambridge.org · 22/05/2026

New Cambridge Element, Microlearning with GenAI, by Lucas Kohnke, out now! Read for free for the next 2 weeks at cup.org/3PUkEVh

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