Why is gaslighting 'gaslighting'? What do bodily fluids have to do with personality traits? Why does 'cataract' mean a waterfall and an eye condition? And do doctors really say 'Stat!' or is that just in ER?
It's the end-of-2016 bonus edition of the Allusionist, containing some of your etymological requests and extra chat from some of this year's guests, to whit:
Dr Isaac Siemens from the Name That Disease episode, on the language doctors are using when they don't want you to know what they're talking about;
Naming consultant Nancy Friedman from the Brand It episode, on name trends in the legal marijuana business;
Dictionary.com's Jane Solomon from the Word of the Day episode, on people's weird dictionary search patterns;
Divorce lawyer Nick Allen from the Post-Love episode, on grounds for divorce.
Missed those episodes? Go back and catch up, before the show returns in early February.
There's a transcript of this episode at theallusionist.org/transcripts/bonus2016.
RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
nuchal
CREDITS:
This episode was produced by me, with music by Martin Austwick.*
Thanks to Devon Taylor and Cheeka Eyers for their help with the show this year. If you ever need an audio producer on your team, hire them! They are wonderful.
Find me at facebook.com/allusionistshow, twitter.com/allusionistshow or twitter.com/helenzaltzman.
Thanks for your company this year. See you in the next.
- HZ
* Here's a photo of me editing the show last night while Martin took pictures of stars:
