Hot Gossip (Rebroadcast) - 29 June 2026
Summary
Hosts Grant Barrett and Martha Barnett explore diverse linguistic topics, including the etymology of gossip terms like "scuttlebutt" and "spermologer," and the origins of Murphy’s Law. Callers discuss regional dialects, such as the Southern pronunciation of "help" as "hope," and heritage words like the German-derived "putch." The episode also covers the prefix "un-," child language quirks, and a review of Catherine Rundell’s biography of poet John Donne.
Topics discussed
Introduction and organizing book collections
Etymology of gossip terms like the grapevine and spermologer
Origins of Murphy's Law and Irish resistance
The concept of 'good enough' in writing
Quiz segment on annoyingly amusing phrases
The origin and meaning of 'collywobbles'
Childhood language quirks and 'go-dogs'
Understanding 'unsweet' tea and the prefix 'un-'
Dialectal pronunciation of 'help' as 'hope'
John Donne's life and Catherine Rundell's biography
Etymology of 'putch' from German and Yiddish
Slang 'riz' and the meaning of 'work-brickle'
Catherine Rundell's other works and credits
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