Best Plain Jane Podcasts (2025)

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Why print dictionaries still matter, with Peter Sokolowski 35:31

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1d ago35:31

35:31

1135. This week, we talk with Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster, about the new print 12th Collegiate Dictionary. We look at why print still matters, how the dictionary used lookup data to decide which words to drop (least looked-up compounds), and the importance of serendipity when researching words in a physical book. Find Peter…

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28. Will to Power - Nietzsche’s theory of everything and what it means for you. Season finale, Part 3 1:08:34

8h ago1:08:34

1:08:34

"Message the show" Welcome to the third and final part of the Will to Joy Season Finale. This episode is going to be the most momentous. We wrestle with will to power as it relates to you and to your life. You'll be faced with the most consequential question—that of the value of your own existence. We track Nietzsche’s break from Schopenhauer’s pes…

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Personification in language and AI. Dictums, maxims, and proverbs. Expensitive. 17:26

4d ago17:26

17:26

1134. This week, we look at the poetic power of personification (the language quirk that gives human traits to nonhuman things) and why style guides advise against using it for AI. Then, we look at the different names for common sayings, defining a proverb and breaking down the four main types: maxim, adage, dictum, and truism. The personification …

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The Drunk in Department V | KGB 46:30

3d ago46:30

46:30

Author and filmmaker Richard Kerbaj tells the story of Oleg Lyalin - the hard-living, womanising KGB officer whose defection changed the course of the Cold War, and shaped the future of intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bo…

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27. Will to Power - Nietzsche’s theory of everything and what it means for you. Season finale, Part 2 59:06

6h ago59:06

59:06

"Message the show" Dionysus wants to make you stronger, more evil, more profound – and more beautiful. In this second part of the season finale, we follow that cosmic pied piper into the heart of Nietzsche’s most explosive idea: the will to power. Last time, we dismantled the myth of free will and showed that selection is the basic logic of reality…

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26. Will to Power - Nietzsche’s theory of everything and what it means for you. Season finale, Part 1 46:39

11h ago46:39

46:39

"Message the show" Free will is the sacred cow of our modern civilisation. Everyone believes they have it but no one can justify this belief. In our season finale of The Will to Joy, we put that belief on the chopping block. I start by offering up a simple challenge: demonstrate free will. When that inevitably fails we follow the chain of consequen…

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The secret rules of crossword puzzles, with Natan Last 29:16

8d ago29:16

29:16

1133. This week, crossword pro Natan Last talks about his book "Across the Universe." We look at the technical and cultural differences between American and British puzzle styles and the secrets that will surprise you about how clues are written and edited. We also look at "crosswordese," the long submission process for the “New York Times,” and th…

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True Spies - Brief Histories: Spychology 29:15

9d ago29:15

29:15

From the writing of Sun Tzu to the modern era, spies and spymasters have had insights into the mind that most of us don't. Now it's time to put espionage itself on the analysts' couch. In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of stories and…

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How '23 skidoo' & 'at sixes and sevens' are related to '6-7.' 18:09

11d ago18:09

18:09

1132. This week, in honor of Dictionary.com choosing "6-7" as its Word of the Year, we look at the origin of other number phrases: "23 skidoo" and "at sixes and sevens." 🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat. 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. 🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited tra…

1
True Spies Classic: The Limping Lady | WW2 43:54

11d ago43:54

43:54

In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby goes behind enemy lines with Virginia Hall, one of the bravest Allied heroines of WWII. As part of ‘Churchill's Secret Army’, Virginia was sent into occupied France to organize resistance efforts and disrupt Nazi plans ‘by any means necessary’. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. Featu…

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What a ‘Science' magazine experiment says about the future of AI in journalism, with Abigail Eisenstadt 23:53

16d ago23:53

23:53

1131. This week, we talk with ‘Science' magazine senior writer Abigail Eisenstadt about her team's year-long experiment testing ChatGPT's ability to summarize research papers. We look at their methodology, the limitations they realized, and their main finding: that AI could “transcribe” scientific studies but failed to “translate” them with context…

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What Roman togas have to do with today's elections. 'Home in' versus 'hone in.' 16:05

17d ago16:05

16:05

1130. This week, we look at words related to elections, and then I help you remember the difference between "home in" and "hone in" with a tip that includes a shocking historical tidbit about spiders. 🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat. 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. 🔗 Take our advertisi…

1
True Spies Debriefs: David McCloskey On His Life After Espionage 31:55

18d ago31:55

31:55

True Spies producer Morgan Childs joins former CIA analyst, author and podcast host David McCloskey for a deep dive into his post-Agency career, and what he's learned along the way. David McCloskey's latest novel, The Persian, is out now. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan…

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Finding the true history of words, with Ben Zimmer 26:52

23d ago26:52

26:52

1129. This week, we talk with Ben Zimmer about the linguistic detective work of antedating words — finding earlier usages than those published in dictionaries. We look at the surprising origins of "Ms.," "scallywag," and the baseball history of "jazz." Find Ben on his website: Benzimmer.com Vietnam Graffiti Project at Texas Tech's Vietnam Center: h…

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‘Ghost words’ and their history. Rules for ‘between’ and ‘among.’ Wilsoning. 14:02

25d ago14:02

14:02

1128. This week, in honor of Halloween, we look at “ghost words” and phrases, from “ghost runners” in baseball to “ghost forests” made by earthquakes. We also look at the difference between “between” and “among” for collective groups. Episodes mentioned in this episode: 734 - Ghost Words 1056 - How to be a ghostwriter, with Dan Gerstein 🔗 Share you…

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The Many Lives of Agent Zo | WW2 1:01:48

25d ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Author Clare Mulley has built her formidable reputation on finding the remarkable stories that have been left out of the history books. This is one of them - the remarkable, heartstopping story of Elzbieta Zawacka, AKA Agent Zo, legend of the Polish resistance. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Fo…

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Inside the Northern Cheyenne Reckoning: Trailer 1:20

12d ago1:20

1:20

Political unrest has gripped the Northern Cheyenne Nation in southeastern Montana. Its causes run deep — decades of broken trust, financial mismanagement, and competing visions of sovereignty — and its consequences are unfolding in real time. This multi-part series, Inside the Northern Cheyenne Reckoning, examines how a grassroots movement, a foren…

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How to be a ‘feisty freelancer,’ with Suzanne Bowness 28:09

30d ago28:09

28:09

1127. This week, we talk with Suzanne Bowness about creating a successful life as a writer. We look at high-value industries that are good targets for freelance work and the best job titles to pitch. Suzanne provides practical advice on tracking projects and follow-ups and explains why established freelancers should use their downtime to experiment…

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True Spies - Brief Histories: Counterintelligence 25:48

30d ago25:48

25:48

From the lagoon of Venice to revolutionary Russia, counterintelligence has always been an important aspect of statecraft. In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of stories and expert knowledge from our archive. From SPYSCAPE, the home of …

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Shakespeare's ‘wherefore’ and other false friends. The language of fear. A Tom. 17:10

1M ago17:10

17:10

1126. This week, we look at words for fear and why "wherefore" doesn't mean what many people think it means. The false friends segment was written by Karen Lunde, a career writer and editor. These days, she designs websites for solo business owners who care about both words and visuals. Find her at chanterellemarketingstudio.com. 🔗 Share your famil…

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True Spies Classic: The Spy In The Cornfield | FBI 46:40

1M ago46:40

46:40

In the golden cornfields of rural Iowa, mysterious men are stealing seeds. Corn is big business - and the secret of growing good corn is priceless intellectual property. But is this a simple case of corporate theft, or foreign espionage in a vital strategic battle between nations? Vanessa Kirby joins Special Agent Mark Betten, FBI, on his mission t…

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Why Q needs U and how hieroglyphics created our alphabet, with Danny Bate 37:49

1M ago37:49

37:49

1125. This week, we talk with linguist and author Danny Bate about his book, "Why Q Needs U." We look at the ancient origins of our alphabet, tracing its conceptual leap from Egyptian hieroglyphs to symbols that represent sounds. Danny explains the "acrophonic principle" (one sound from a picture) and why the letter A was originally a consonant, no…

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The political, royal and obscene meanings of blue. The differences in ‘plumb’ and plum.’ 15:10

1M ago15:10

15:10

1124. This week, we look at blue idioms, including the political history of "blue states," the medical reason for being "blue in the face," and the astronomical reason for a "blue moon." Then, we look at the difference between 'plumb' (with a B), and 'plum' (without a B). 🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat. 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learn…

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True Spies Debriefs: Brett Janis on Economic Intelligence 29:39

1M ago29:39

29:39

This time on the Debrief, Morgan Childs joins former CIA economic analyst Brett Janis to discuss the Agency's role in monitoring global financial trends, Ukraine, and the future of the USA's place at the heart of the world economy. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs…

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The fight for the modern dictionary, with Stefan Fatsis 32:52

1M ago32:52

32:52

1123. This week, we talk with author and self-described “word freak” Stefan Fatsis about his book "Unabridged." He shares his experience embedding at Merriam-Webster to become a lexicographer, sharing the contrast between the company's 1940s headquarters and the modern digital business. We look at the tension between updating old words (like the su…

1
‘Math’ versus ‘maths’ and other British differences. ‘Spendthrift’ means what? 13:22

1M ago13:22

13:22

By Mignon Fogarty, Samantha Enslen, Karen Lunde

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Chasing Chi, Part Two: One Man's Trash... | FBI 40:59

1M ago40:59

40:59

By SPYSCAPE

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Why ‘Useless Etymology’ gives you super powers, with Jess Zafarris 33:23

2M ago33:23

33:23

1121. This week, we talk with Jess Zafarris about her book “Useless Etymology.” We look at three ways she says etymology gives you superpowers. We also look at the origins of simple words and learn why “girl” didn't always mean a female child, the unexpected historical figures behind “fedora” and “sideburns,” and why the word “outrage” has nothing …

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True Spies - Brief Histories: Women in Espionage 28:12

2M ago28:12

28:12

NEW from True Spies: Brief Histories. From 7th Century China to Nazi-occupied France, discover a selection of stories from the long history of female spies. In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of expert knowledge from our archive. From…

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Can you use ‘epicenter’ for positive things? The etymology of ‘bro.’ Mukwonago, Oconomowoc. 16:34

2M ago16:34

16:34

1120. This week, we look at tricky uses of the word "epicenter" and how people feel about using it metaphorically. We also look at where the word “brother” came from and how it branched into “bro,” “boy,” and even “buddy.” The "brother" segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the a…

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Chasing Chi, Part One: The Engineer | FBI 44:38

2M ago44:38

44:38

By 2004, FBI Special Agent Jim Gaylord has seen a lot of counterintelligence operations go right. But he's also seen plenty go wrong, especially when it comes to the People's Republic of China. But now, he has a chance to take down one of China's most prolific collectors of US military tech - and he's determined to take it. In Part One, Jim sets ou…

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25. On his master's business - Nietzsche, masters, and slaves 22:35

2M ago22:35

22:35

"Message the show" As Nietzsche writes, "he who cannot obey himself, will be commanded". The ability to obey oneself - to have an internal locus of authority rather than an external one - this is how, in our era of purported equality, a master is distinguished from a slave. But what about you? Who or what do you obey? And, in obeying, are you compr…

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Adapting a classic: from words to watercolors, with K. Woodman-Maynard 24:40

2M ago24:40

24:40

1119. This week, we talk with illustrator and cartoonist K. Woodman-Maynard about her new graphic novel adaptation of "Tuck Everlasting." We look at the creative process of adapting a beloved book, including how she uses visual storytelling to convey emotion and meaning with watercolor and panel design. We also look at her approach to condensing th…