Shoulda Woulda Coulda. Where does that L come from?
A look at where the silent L in would, should, and could come from. [Arika Okrent]
Category Archives: Culture
American vs. British vs. Australian English: One Language, Three Accents [Video]
One Language, Three Accents! In this video, we’re showing you the differences between American English, British English, and Australian English. First, we’ll show you the difference between an American accent, a British accent, and an Australian accent by reading some simple words that are spelled the same in every country. Then, our native speakers will […]
A Look at the Origins and Evolution of the English Language [Video]
When we talk about ‘English’, we often think of it as a single language. But what do the dialects spoken in dozens of countries around the world have in common with each other, or with the writings of Chaucer? Claire Bowern traces the language from the present day back to its ancient roots, showing how […]
A New Way to See Ancient Cave Art
You’ve seen cave art in pictures on the Internet, and if you’re very lucky, you might have seen some in person, but are you interpreting these correctly? This enlightening thread by @DilettanteryPod will teach you how to look at these in a new way! @DilettanteryPod tweeted this amazing thread about how we may have overlooked […]
Food History: A Brief History of Ramen
The history of ramen features cameos from The Yakuza crime syndicate, the U.S. Army, and a businessman who turned a simple idea into a worldwide convenience food. Ramen is so much more than a cheap and filling meal. In this episode of Food History, we break down ramen as a cultural and historic artifact whose […]
The True Origin of Triscuit Crackers
OK, buckle up. I wanna talk to you about Triscuit. pic.twitter.com/Tg7334OSbc — Sage Boggs (@sageboggs) March 26, 2020 [Source: Sage Boggs | Vua MC]
Patrick Stewart Does Hamlet on Sesame Street: The Letter B
Wath as Patrick Stewart gives a Shakespearean soliloquy on the letter “B”. [Sesame Street | Via Neatorama]
What’s It Like to Write Children’s Books for the Movies?
I have the best job in the world. Seriously. I get paid to watch TV and movies. Okay, not really. But kind of. I’m a children’s book author, and a lot of the books I work on are tie-ins to movies and film. I’ve written books for The Mandalorian, Goonies, Marvel, and I even wrote […]
A brief history of the devil [Video]
Satan, the beast crunching sinners’ bones. Lucifer, the fallen angel. Mephistopheles, the trickster striking deals. These three divergent devils are all based on Satan of the Old Testament. But unlike any of these literary devils, the Satan of the Bible was a relatively minor character. So how did he become the ultimate antagonist, with so […]
The Epic of Gilgamesh, The King Who Tried to Conquer Death [Video]
In 1849, in the ancient city of Nineveh in Iraq, archaeologists sifted through dusty remains, hoping to find records to prove that Bible stories were true. What they found instead was a 4,000-year-old story inscribed on crumbling clay tablets— a story that was so riveting, the first person to translate it started stripping from excitement. […]