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.
Rerun of Ep 23 Words from the Language Of Wine: Terroir and Botrytis (Noble Rot)
14/05/2026 | 30 mins.
Maggie and Emily learn the words from “terroir” and “noble rot” from wine educator Nora Murphy. They discover “apisoir” with Michael Alberty and “aha-mnesty” with C. Brian Smith. Poem by Emily: Terroir.
Rerun of Ep 22 Words From Buddhism: Dukkha and Mudita
07/05/2026 | 31 mins.
Maggie and Emily discuss the Buddhist words dukkha and mudita with Zen priest Senshin and put the word “karma” on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: Not To My Liking.
Rerun of Ep 21 Valentines Day Episode: Words From Around the World
30/04/2026 | 29 mins.
Maggie and Emily talk to guests from around the world about love and learn how people say “I love you” across the globe. Poem by Emily: galaxies.
Rerun of Ep 19 Words From Math and Music
23/04/2026 | 29 mins.
Emily and I will be back with new episodes in May, but for now, we have a rerun of episode 19 words from math and music. Here we go.
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.