The Allusionist
Adventures in language with Helen Zaltzman. TheAllusionist.org
Our Editor's Take
The Allusionist podcast invites listeners into the fascinating world of language. It explores the etymology of common words and how slang enters the lexicons of different regions. Host Helen Zaltzman follows the evolution of the English language over the centuries.
Hailing from the UK, Helen is an award-winning podcaster, writer, and broadcaster. In 2018, the British Podcast Awards called The Allusionist the "Smartest Podcast." It also awarded Helen the title "Podcast Champion." The Guardian calls it "one of the funniest" educational podcasts. She brings her wit, research skills, and passion for language to her show.
In one episode, Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo help Helen trace vampire lingo. They ponder why Latin denotes mysticism, evil, witchcraft, and spells. In another episode, Helen considers how eponyms came to be. She talks with Subhadra Das, a writer and historian, about universities renaming buildings. A name that seemed fine 100 years ago offends many now. It's more challenging to rename a theory than a building, physicist Martin Austwick insists.
Helen shares her likes and dislikes on The Allusionist. She detests puns, and so do the Chinese. They banned puns in 2014. While this seems extreme, Helen wants to enforce this law with her family. She isn't shy about the more offensive parts of speech. She discusses the "C-word" and its origins in one episode. That word deserves a better reputation, she thinks. Listeners may need headphones for this hilarious and informative discussion.
Language keeps evolving, and it may seem it's happening faster than ever. Keeping pace with linguistic evolution is difficult. Helen addresses this topic in an episode about emojis. Could these symbols, she asks, be the new universal language? While some may think this graphics alphabet is a recent phenomenon, this may not be true. Dr. Kate Wiles suggests that emojis have been around for thousands of years.
Each episode teaches listeners about the language they speak and write every day. Thanks to Helen Zaltzman, listeners may become more creative and knowledgeable with words. New episodes of The Allusionist appear about twice a month.
Episodes
