About this episode

This episode explores various forms of gossip, the poetry of John Donne, and quirky language phenomena.

Gossip goes by many names: the poop, the scoop, the lowdown, the dope, the scuttlebutt, the 411, the grapes, the gore, and hot tea. Plus, John Donne’s love poems are among the greatest in the English language, even as they’re famously difficult to unravel. A new biography hails the genius of the man who penned the phrases no man is an island and for whom the bell tolls. And Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. But what about Muphry’s Law? Also: how to organize your bookshelves, rizz, potch in tuchis, conkerbell, pronouncing help like hope, spermologer, sweet tea vs. unsweet tea, work brickle, collywobbles, and a puzzle that will test your wits — and patience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Martha Barnette, Grant Barrett

Topics covered

• gossip
• language
• literature
• poetry
• book organization
• puzzles

Keywords

• gossip
• John Donne
• Murphy’s Law
• Muphry’s Law
• book organization
• language
• puzzles

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: love poems

Places: English

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