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Fifty Words For Snow

Maggie Rowe and Emily Garces

A linguistic expedition into brave new words. Maggie Rowe and Emily John Garcés hunt for words that lack an English equivalent. They like to think of themselves as Dora the Explorers of language, with their rucksacks and hats and notebooks and magnifying glasses, embarking on a cultural adventure, hunting and gathering useful new word specimens from far flung continents, and holding them up to see what new light they shine on old ideas.

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  • 23 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 28 min
  • English

Episodes 23

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  • S3 · E15
    Thursday · 28 min

    Ep 79 Russian Hope: Avos and Avoska

    Maggie and Emily learn the Russian words avos and avoska from Natasha Kamneva and coin a word with Susan Sechrist. Poem by Emily: Avoska.

  • S3 · E13
    August 13 · 26 min

    Ep 77 On the Brink: Russian Word Nadryv

    Maggie and Emily discuss the Russian word "nadryv" with Natasha Kamneva from Moscow and then put the word "crybaby" on trial with Judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: Nadryv.

  • S3 · E12
    August 6 · 29 min

    Ep 76 German Words: Fernweh and Fremdschämen

    Maggie and Emily learn the German words fremdschämen and fernweh from Philipp De Vries. Word in action fremdschämen with Eric Giancoli. Poem by Maggie: Fernweh.

  • S3 · E11
    July 30 · 23 min

    Ep 75 Words from Trinidad: Tabanca and Jumbie

    Maggie and Emily learn the word tabanca and jumbie from Trinidad native Kacheve Stafford. Word in action "lime" with man at large Eric Giancoli. Poem by Emily: Tabanca.

  • S3 · E10
    July 23 · 28 min

    Ep. 74 German Word Urlaubsrief

    Maggie and Emily learn the German word urlaubsreif from Philipp DeVries and put the word "wellness" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: Urlaubsreif.

  • S3 · E8
    July 9 · 27 min

    Ep 72 Words From Nature: Molt and Poppybloom

    Maggie and Emily discuss the word "molt" with Ballona Wetlands tour guide Susan Levinson and learn the invented word "poppybloom" from wordsmith Norm Milstein.  Poem by Emily: Molt. Song by Norm: Spring is Like a Valentine.

  • S3 · E7
    July 2 · 30 min

    Ep. 71 The Curious Episode

    Maggie and Emily talk with language expert, polyglot Tally Beck and learn the word "curio-ocean" from wordsmith Norm Milstein. Poem by Maggie: Curiosity Killed The Cat.

  • S3 · E6
    June 25 · 26 min

    Ep 70 Whiskey Words: Angel's Share and Devil's Cut

    Maggie and Emily talk to whiskey sommelier Colonel Sam Green about words from the world of whiskey. Whiskey Tasting with Eric Giancoli and Arlo Miller-Baynham. Poem by Emily: Drinking on Jura.

  • S3 · E3
    June 4 · 32 min

    Ep 67 The Pleasure Episode: Bengali word "shukhi shoreer"

    Maggie and Emily learn the Bengali word shukhi shoreer from Sandeep Mukherjee, discuss Mr. Pleasure with C. Brian Smith, and talk about the democratization of connoisseurship with Paul Jackson. Poem by Maggie: Mr Pleasure.

  • S3 · E2
    May 28 · 33 min

    Ep 66 Word from the Birds: Torpor

    Maggie and Emily learn the word torpor from Ballona Wetlands tour guide Susan Levinson and put the word "hardworking" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: Surrender.

  • S3 · E1
    May 21 · 25 min

    Ep 65 Sanskrit Buddhist Word: Viriya

    Maggie and Emily learn the Sanskrit word viriya from Katherine “Senshin” Griffith, head teacher at the Zen Center of Los Angeles and discuss “sick in bed without a fever day” with Jim Vallely. Poem by Maggie: Tiny Hero.

Showing 1–20 of 23 episodes