That Word Chat welcomes humorist Gabe Henry, author of “Enough Is Enuf,” a history of the campaign to turn “through” into “thru” and “enough” into “enuf.”
Join us: thatwordchat.com
Tues., Nov. 17 | 4:30 p.m. EST (21:30 UTC)
#ThatWordChat #Spelling #Linguistics #Books
Join us: thatwordchat.com
Tues., Nov. 17 | 4:30 p.m. EST (21:30 UTC)
#ThatWordChat #Spelling #Linguistics #Books
November 11, 2026 at 9:02 PM
That Word Chat welcomes humorist Gabe Henry, author of “Enough Is Enuf,” a history of the campaign to turn “through” into “thru” and “enough” into “enuf.”
Join us: thatwordchat.com
Tues., Nov. 17 | 4:30 p.m. EST (21:30 UTC)
#ThatWordChat #Spelling #Linguistics #Books
Join us: thatwordchat.com
Tues., Nov. 17 | 4:30 p.m. EST (21:30 UTC)
#ThatWordChat #Spelling #Linguistics #Books
Phrased & Confused has a UK edition, with a few vocabulary shifts. Tidbits became titbits. Persnickety became pernickety. And the median became the central reservation. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Phrased & Confused has a UK edition, with a few vocabulary shifts. Tidbits became titbits. Persnickety became pernickety. And the median became the central reservation. #ThatWordChat
Are there non-verse examples that have gone astray? Burnstein says the philosophical, scholarly, and historical quotes lead to more unambiguous conclusions. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Are there non-verse examples that have gone astray? Burnstein says the philosophical, scholarly, and historical quotes lead to more unambiguous conclusions. #ThatWordChat
Guilt tends to be about what we did or didn't do. Shame tends to be about who we are or aren't. You might feel ashamed of your flabby muscles and guilty for not going to the gym. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Guilt tends to be about what we did or didn't do. Shame tends to be about who we are or aren't. You might feel ashamed of your flabby muscles and guilty for not going to the gym. #ThatWordChat
Burnstein also runs Spelling Bae, an adult but beginner-friendly spelling bee. For years it was a monthly bar event, first in Toronto, then a bit in London. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Burnstein also runs Spelling Bae, an adult but beginner-friendly spelling bee. For years it was a monthly bar event, first in Toronto, then a bit in London. #ThatWordChat
Our fallibility gave Descartes pause. Anything he looked at could be an illusion, and he could be dreaming right now. So, if it can be doubted, doubt it. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Our fallibility gave Descartes pause. Anything he looked at could be an illusion, and he could be dreaming right now. So, if it can be doubted, doubt it. #ThatWordChat
Most of us have heard it and could probably guess at much of its meaning. René Descartes, the 17th-century philosopher, reflected on how often he'd been mistaken. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:11 PM
Most of us have heard it and could probably guess at much of its meaning. René Descartes, the 17th-century philosopher, reflected on how often he'd been mistaken. #ThatWordChat
Case in point: convince vs. persuade. Time was, you'd persuade someone to do something but convince them to believe it. Persuade them to vote. Convince them of the importance of voting. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Case in point: convince vs. persuade. Time was, you'd persuade someone to do something but convince them to believe it. Persuade them to vote. Convince them of the importance of voting. #ThatWordChat
"Don't mess with Texas." It's commonly thought to be a bit of Texan swagger, but it began as an anti-littering campaign, with a play on the word "mess." #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:06 PM
"Don't mess with Texas." It's commonly thought to be a bit of Texan swagger, but it began as an anti-littering campaign, with a play on the word "mess." #ThatWordChat
A heavier, more abstract example: shame vs. guilt. The words can overlap, and words have multiple senses, so Burnstein looks only at the senses that could be confused or conflated. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:22 PM
A heavier, more abstract example: shame vs. guilt. The words can overlap, and words have multiple senses, so Burnstein looks only at the senses that could be confused or conflated. #ThatWordChat
Burnstein says any book on language is a snapshot. You can't predict how things will shift, "nor do you want to be too kind of persnickety" about battles already lost. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Burnstein says any book on language is a snapshot. You can't predict how things will shift, "nor do you want to be too kind of persnickety" about battles already lost. #ThatWordChat
We asked about "I think, therefore I am," which opens the book. Burnstein says its interest lies partly in what it means, "but I think more importantly why it matters." #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:11 PM
We asked about "I think, therefore I am," which opens the book. Burnstein says its interest lies partly in what it means, "but I think more importantly why it matters." #ThatWordChat
Phrased & Confused looks at famous quotations that are commonly misunderstood or enigmatic. "It is in that latter category that some of the philosophy kind of makes its way back in." #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Phrased & Confused looks at famous quotations that are commonly misunderstood or enigmatic. "It is in that latter category that some of the philosophy kind of makes its way back in." #ThatWordChat
After entering the work world, Burnstein started "noodling around with humor writing," submitting lots to The New Yorker and McSweeney's. After many rejections came a breakthrough and more regular contributions. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 8:40 PM
After entering the work world, Burnstein started "noodling around with humor writing," submitting lots to The New Yorker and McSweeney's. After many rejections came a breakthrough and more regular contributions. #ThatWordChat
Burnstein's other love is humor writing. The common denominator is a love of language and wordplay. Humor writers are always thinking about setups and punchlines, reading language in a very close-reader way. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Burnstein's other love is humor writing. The common denominator is a love of language and wordplay. Humor writers are always thinking about setups and punchlines, reading language in a very close-reader way. #ThatWordChat
Ulrich meant that well-behaved women seldom make history, but they should. Historians need to pay attention to the lives of ordinary women, not only "the Napoleons and great men of history." #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Ulrich meant that well-behaved women seldom make history, but they should. Historians need to pay attention to the lives of ordinary women, not only "the Napoleons and great men of history." #ThatWordChat
Still, if you want to be extra crisp in your writing, you can use these "vestigial distinctions." We may still hear them, even if not consciously. "Crisp writing is a kind of whole body experience." #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Still, if you want to be extra crisp in your writing, you can use these "vestigial distinctions." We may still hear them, even if not consciously. "Crisp writing is a kind of whole body experience." #ThatWordChat
Roadside littering was rampant, so an ad agency was brought in and came up with the line. There was some hesitation at first, perhaps because it seemed a little too edgy. It was an overwhelming success. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Roadside littering was rampant, so an ad agency was brought in and came up with the line. There was some hesitation at first, perhaps because it seemed a little too edgy. It was an overwhelming success. #ThatWordChat
We'd like to welcome Eli Burnstein to Episode 96 of That Word Chat! We're back from summer hiatus on Sept. 29, the release date for Eli's book Phrased & Confused: The Curious Meanings of Timeless Quotations. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 8:35 PM
We'd like to welcome Eli Burnstein to Episode 96 of That Word Chat! We're back from summer hiatus on Sept. 29, the release date for Eli's book Phrased & Confused: The Curious Meanings of Timeless Quotations. #ThatWordChat
He peeled back everything he could doubt, like sense perceptions, memories, beliefs, and even his own body. Eventually he reached the one thing he couldn't doubt, the very fact that he was doubting. Hence, "I think, therefore I am." #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:13 PM
He peeled back everything he could doubt, like sense perceptions, memories, beliefs, and even his own body. Eventually he reached the one thing he couldn't doubt, the very fact that he was doubting. Hence, "I think, therefore I am." #ThatWordChat
“Carpe diem,” commonly translated as “seize the day.” According to Latin experts, “pluck the day” is more accurate. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:04 PM
“Carpe diem,” commonly translated as “seize the day.” According to Latin experts, “pluck the day” is more accurate. #ThatWordChat
It became "a victim of its own success." The line escaped its origins, and many people don't know where it comes from. That's why it's a registered trademark of Texas transportation officials, who want it understood as an anti-littering message. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 9:07 PM
It became "a victim of its own success." The line escaped its origins, and many people don't know where it comes from. That's why it's a registered trademark of Texas transportation officials, who want it understood as an anti-littering message. #ThatWordChat
Burnstein aims for "a little something for everyone, or at least for lovers of literature and philosophy and history." Some entries are light, like "Don't Mess with Texas." "Wherefore art thou" is in there too, as one of the shorter ones. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Burnstein aims for "a little something for everyone, or at least for lovers of literature and philosophy and history." Some entries are light, like "Don't Mess with Texas." "Wherefore art thou" is in there too, as one of the shorter ones. #ThatWordChat
Phrased & Confused by Eli Burnstein is out today. Thanks to Burnstein for joining us for Episode 96, and to everyone in the room. www.abramsbooks.com/product/phra... #ThatWordChat
Phrased & Confused The Curious Meanings of Timeless Quotations
This incisive and witty collection from humor writer Eli Burnstein unpacks commonly misunderstood and enigmatic quotations, revealing what they really meanand why they still matter.Designed for the cu...
www.abramsbooks.com
September 29, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Phrased & Confused by Eli Burnstein is out today. Thanks to Burnstein for joining us for Episode 96, and to everyone in the room. www.abramsbooks.com/product/phra... #ThatWordChat
One commonly misunderstood line: "Well-behaved women seldom make history." It was an emblem of the women's liberation movement through the '70s, '80s, and '90s. #ThatWordChat
September 29, 2026 at 8:58 PM
One commonly misunderstood line: "Well-behaved women seldom make history." It was an emblem of the women's liberation movement through the '70s, '80s, and '90s. #ThatWordChat