Ep. 69 Fancy French Words: Émerveillement and Éblouissement
18/06/2026 | 25 mins.
Maggie and Emily learn the French words Émerveillement and Éblouissement from Luc Lewitanski and put the word "masterpiece" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: l'émerveillement.
Ep 68 Words From the French Language: La Mie and Gourmand
11/06/2026 | 27 mins.
Maggie and Emily learn the French words la mie and gourmand from French and English educator Luc Lewitanski and explore a "word in action" with reporter at large Eric Giancoli. Poem by Maggie: La Mie.
Ep 67 The Pleasure Episode: Bengali word "shukhi shoreer"
04/06/2026 | 32 mins.
Maggie and Emily learn the Bengali word shukhi shoreer from Sandeep Mukherjee, discuss Mr. Pleasure with C. Brian Smith, and talk about the democratization of connoisseurship with Paul Jackson. Poem by Maggie: Mr Pleasure.
Ep 66 Word from the Birds: Torpor
28/05/2026 | 33 mins.
Maggie and Emily learn the word torpor from Ballona Wetlands tour guide Susan Levinson and put the word "hardworking" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: Surrender.
Ep 65 Sanskrit Buddhist Word: Viriya
21/05/2026 | 25 mins.
Maggie and Emily learn the Sanskrit word viriya from Katherine “Senshin” Griffith, head teacher at the Zen Center of Los Angeles and discuss “sick in bed without a fever day” with Jim Vallely. Poem by Maggie: Tiny Hero.
A linguistic expedition into brave new words. Maggie Rowe and Emily John Garcés hunt for words that lack an English equivalent. They like to think of themselves as Dora the Explorers of language, with their rucksacks and hats and notebooks and magnifying glasses, embarking on a cultural adventure, hunting and gathering useful new word specimens from far flung continents, and holding them up to see what new light they shine on old ideas.