121 Attend

About this episode

In this episode, the hosts explore the evolution of the word 'attend' and its implications on language and communication.

In this episode of NeuroSpicy Dialogues, Cara Jean and Kimberly pull the word "attend" - and immediately stretch it in every direction. Turns out, "attend" comes from Latin for "to stretch toward," which is a far cry from "sit still and pay attention." That little revelation sends them on a full tour of how language has shapeshifted across human history - from spoken word to written word to LOL to the eggplant emoji (which, for the record, sometimes just means eggplant). Along the way: the great LOL debate of the early internet (lots of love or laugh out loud?), a heartfelt wish for autocorrect that actually understands dyslexic brains, emojis as modern-day hieroglyphics, and a bartender story about a guy who couldn't figure out why his algorithm was the way it was (spoiler: it was very much his doing). They wrap with an "Is It Just Me?" that lands differently for each of them - Cara describes physically spinning in circles between tasks like a puppy deciding where to sit, while Kimberly's version is the mid-sentence brain freeze where all the words just vanish. Same wiring, completely different expression. And honestly, that's…

People in this episode

Hosts: Cara Jean, Kimberly, Cara

Topics covered

• language
• communication
• dyslexia
• emojis
• internet culture

Keywords

• attend
• Latin
• LOL
• autocorrect
• hieroglyphics

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