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Lexitecture

Lexitecture

By: Ryan Paulsen and Amy Hanlon
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About this listen

 A Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) talking about the words in the English language that fascinate them most at the moment, looking at their histories and origins and trying to piece together just how they got to where they are today. This is a podcast for anyone interested in etymology (the study of words and their origins/history). If you've ever found yourself happier after discovering some bizarre bit of trivia about a word that you hadn't even given a second thought to (such as how the word 'trivia' relates to its Latin components meaning "three roads"), this might just be the podcast for you. World
Episodes
  • Episode 138: Balaclava Cardigan Sandwich Crapper

    Episode 138: Balaclava Cardigan Sandwich Crapper
    Oct 23 2025

    It has been, decidedly, WAAYYYYY too long, but we're (well... more specifically I'm) back with a new episode!

    As you'll hear, we really do deeply appreciate those of you who are still subscribed to our show, and particularly our longsuffering and cherished Patreon supporters who are, quite literally, why this show is still able to keep going. THANK YOU!!

    In this episode, Ryan is taking a journey through a grab-bag of eponyms/toponyms/neither with "Cardigan", "Balaclava", "Sandwich" and "Crapper".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
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    37 mins
  • Episode 137: Blackmail Juggernaut

    Episode 137: Blackmail Juggernaut
    Apr 28 2025

    We're back and it looks like 'monthly' is our new for-real schedule! WOO!

    In this episode, Amy pays the unscrupulous rent with "blackmail", while Ryan communes with a Hindu effigy known as "Juggernaut".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Episode 136: Carfax Wealth

    Episode 136: Carfax Wealth
    Mar 31 2025

    The sun may be setting on the third month of 2025, but it's not gone yet, and here we are with our third episode of the year!

    In this episode, Amy squares up against "carfax", while Ryan discovers a stowaway suffix in a pile of "wealth".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 1 min
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