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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 1d

Okay, while we're quoting though:
this was clarifying:

> Shapiro's gift is extolling supremacy—the dominant cultural belief in the United States that some people matter and others don't, and that those who matter should get to do whatever they want to those who don't.

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 2d

ENSHITTIFICATION was our Word of the Year in 2024. Catch our interview with Cory Doctorow here!
youtu.be/mq0kSdzSjfc?...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 3d

stealing this for the Grice lecture thx

Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 3d

allistic people will do phatics all day long and then say that 'be informative' and 'be brief' are communicative maxims

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 3d

A dusty bell went ding in the Because Language offices.
It seems that someone bought a "Chaos Goblin" sticker. If one more person buys one, then there will be two of you!
Irregardless, they're pretty great. Go see our designs.

www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1688...

Linguistic Chaos Goblin: Irregardless! by Because Language shop | Redbubble

What's the matter with "irregardless"? It's a mashup of two great words — irrespective and regardless — that makes something way way better! If you're a linguistic chaos goblin, that is. Drawing by Tr...

www.redbubble.com

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 5d

Kavanaugh stop

#WordOfTheWeek

Fight the Lies @fightlies.bsky.social · 5d

Kavanaugh Stop - "Brief detainment by lawless masked federal agents inflicting serious bodily injury, followed by weeks in a makeshift shithole overcrowded jail, and then being flown in the dark of night to a slave prison in some other country after which your name is disappeared from all records."

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 5d

It’s very simple. NOT is being used here as an intensifier, where each NOT strengthens the force of the negation.

You know, like Spanish does.

Pop Crave @popcrave.com · 6d

Former racecar driver Danica Patrick slams Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl 2026 halftime headliner:

“No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year… not just for sports.”

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 5d

Yes! It finally happened!

8yo: Dad, what does IYKYK stand for?
Me: (conspiratorial head gesture) If you know, you know.
8yo: Daaad, tell me what it stands for.

(followed by five more increasingly irritated iterations of this, until she finally got it)

Peak dad moment.

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 8d

Hear me out: it depends on the stress.
FRENCH fries we know about. They are tasty but not that sexy.
But French FRIES: possibly more sexy potential?

Stephen Shapiro @stephenshapiro.bsky.social · 8d

someone one said that if you put "French" before anything it makes it sexy, ie. "French postcards," "French theory."

The exception would be "fries."

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Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)

Cambridge University Press - Linguistics @cambup-linguistics.cambridge.org · 9d

Revealing new insights into how the mind represents and processes language, this book gives a full overview of linguistic illusions.

Linguistic Illusions by Dan Parker, Coming Soon

#LangSky #Linguistics 🐦🐦

https://cup.org/4mwHEnC

Cover of an multicolored upside down triangle broken into 3 pieces

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 8d

Patrons at the Listener level can hear our new bonus episode with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social !

Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up.

www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 8d

One day I will find a way to tell people to knock off the grammar scolding, in a way that doesn't make everyone arc up and attack me.
But today is not that day! 😈

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 11d

What one thing explains the most about language?

We put this question to our listeners, and also to Mark Ellison, and we got some really good answers!

Come watch or listen. We'll be out on the deck.

It was a bonus episode, but now it is freeeeeeee

becauselanguage.com/106-what-one...

106: What One Thing? (with Mark Ellison) – Because Language

becauselanguage.com

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 12d

I hereby invite your responses to the question: why is [some language I know] so mean sometimes

Joshua קאַבאַק-געװירץ Raclaw @joshuaraclaw.com · 13d

Just learned that one Yiddish word to describe someone who’s single or unmarried is leydik (לײדיק) which literally also means “empty” and why is this language so mean sometimes

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 14d

why yes I did how good of you to notice

now Daniel has drawn an image of himself over the top of everyone in highlighter, but this time he has crazy hair

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 14d

From our new bonus episode with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social

www.patreon.com/posts/139541...

A screenshot of the Because Language gang: Hedvig, Caitlin, and Ben.
But curiously, no Daniel.
Text from Hedvig: Im sorry @Daniel i don’t know why you’re not included in the picture

Daniel has drawn a crude likeness of himself in white highlighter over the top of the other three hosts.
Text:
Daniel
That means I get to draw myself
ha haaaa

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 14d

Rapture slang today is WAY different from the Raptures we used to have when I was a kid

born miserable @bornmiserable.bsky.social · 15d

ATTENTION PARENTS: is your child texting about the Rapture? KNOW THE SIGNS:

LOL: left on land
WTF: where’s the family
ROFL: rapture only for losers
OMG: oh ma geddon

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 15d

can’t figure out how to change the password on the recording room

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 15d

It's a bonus Mailbag ep with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social
for patrons at the Listener level.
Click through to join up or listen to a preview.

• What's the optimal set of languages to learn, if you want to speak to the most people on earth?
• Who is "Mason"?
And more.

www.patreon.com/posts/139541...

126: Mailbag of Carp (with Caitlin Green) | Because Language

www.patreon.com

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 20d

Great news!

Australian National Dictionary Centre @ozworders.bsky.social · 20d

We were very pleased to get the news today that the Australian National Dictionary Centre will be saved, thanks to an anonymous donation and the halt on involuntary redundancies under the Renew ANU plan. We thank everyone for their generous support through these difficult times.

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · 25d

We had a great time talking with @marthabarnette.bsky.social of @waywordradio.org about her new book "Friends With Words". And she helped us with some of our toughest listener questions! It's a free episode for everyone.

Video: www.patreon.com/posts/video-...
Audio: www.patreon.com/posts/audio-...

Video 125: Friends With Words (live with Martha Barnette and friends) | Because Language

www.patreon.com

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Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)

Jonathon Owen @arrantpedantry.com · Aug 29

@becauselanguage.com hits it right on the head: www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Li...

"Lingusitics" Premium T-Shirt for Sale by talkthetalk

Who else besides me types this EVERY TIME? • Millions of unique designs by independent artists. Find your thing.

www.redbubble.com

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · Aug 24

LLMs just tell us what we want to hear. Which is wrong. It should be humans telling us what we want to hear.

Our new episode with Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is out, and you can find it in all the places.
www.patreon.com/posts/137195...

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · Aug 18

Let’s ask the hallucination machine what it thinks about this

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Reposted by Because Language (becauselangpod)

Wulf Sternhammer @tarielcell.bsky.social · Aug 15

Violence baguettes violence

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Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · Aug 16

Creators have to be mindful of what to say and what not to say in their content. This affects the language we're exposed to — and what we say IRL. But it's part of an old process. Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is the author of the new book "Algospeak".
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

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