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“Linguistics and language is such a good mechanism for being curious,” says Lauren Gawne, linguistics prof, author of the book Gesture: a Slim Guide, and cohost of the podcast Lingthusiasm.
I'm in vacation mode (although not on actual vacation alas), so today's episode is a fun chat with our nice pal about making language podcasts, the firey digestive punishments for linguistics researchers, working in reality television, and cute tame nouns versus scary intimidating verbs.
There's a longer version of this conversation available for free over on Lingthusiasm’s Patreon, including Lauren explaining how she broke a famous linguistic theory.
Content note: this episode contains one category A swear and a category B swear.
I’ll be one of the performers at the comedy night Say Wha?! Readings of Deliciously Rotten Writing in Vancouver on 28 July 2026. Also! If you’re in Canada, Australia or the UK and want to book in an Allusionist live spectacle, get in touch.
EXTRA STUFF:
Well, someone has uploaded much of The Salon to YouTube. I claim no responsibility for this content. Or for anything from 2004.
Spy was a pretty successful show everywhere except for the UK whence it came.
Read about Zeno’s Paradox of Achilles and the tortoise, unless like me you find it too thoroughly infuriating.
The podcast Lauren mentioned with the quiz at the end is Doug Metzger's Literature and History.
There are also several quizzes in the Allusionist back catalogue! Play along.
Lauren’s Lingthusiasm cohost Gretchen McCulloch appeared on the Allusionist episode New Rules to talk about how the internet shaped language. Seven years later, I wonder what would be added.
I mentioned my reality TV typing job in the episode WPM, a music-spoken word piece about typing champions. (I was not one.)
Related to my mid-20s career - weird that it also came up last episode - and becoming a podcaster, in June’s episode of Answer Us Back, Olly and I are asked about whether we considered becoming standup comedians.
Support the show at theallusionist.org/donate to fund the continuing existence of this independent podcast. In return, you can join me for regular livestreams where I read relaxingly from my ever-expanding collection of vintage dictionaries, plus you get bonus written content, membership of the Allusioverse Discord community, and watchalong parties for films and TV shows: together we're watching the 2026 season of Great British Sewing Bee, starting 14 July 2026.
YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
chalicothere, noun:
a horse-like fossil mammal of the late Tertiary period, with stout claws instead of hooves.
Origin 20th century: from modern Latin Chalicotherium (genus name), from Greek khalix, khalik- gravel' + therion 'wild animal'.
CREDITS:
Lauren Gawne is associate linguistics professor at Latrobe University, author of the book Gesture: a Slim Guide, and cohost of the podcast Lingthusiasm. Listen to Lingthusiasm in the pod places and at lingthusiasm.com.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, on the unceded ancestral and traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
The original Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and listen to his podcasts Song By Song and Neutrino Watch.
Find the Allusionist at youtube.com/allusionistshow, instagram.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow, @allusionistshow.bsky.social… If I’m on there, I’m there as @allusionistshow.
Back in early August with a new episode - HZ.
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