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PODCAST

Getting Down & Wordy

Russell Pirkle & Hannah Weyer

Humorous Etymological Research Probing English Songs - A moderately researched, moderately funny chat show about popular music and language. We are a Podmoth Network podcast.

education language learning

All Episodes

01:33:34

SZA "Kill Bill" and Rhyming

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/07/07

We're talking about the only artist whose name rhymes with RZA . . . SZA! And of course we're talking about the surprising history of rhyming plus different kinds of rhymes. Which words do and don't rhyme? It's more complicated than you think. Are slant rhymes bad writing? It's more complicated than you think! For Eurovision, we discuss Croatia's 2024 song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" by Baby Lasanga. Meow cat, please meow back. Find us on instagram here:

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02:14:38

Alanis Morisette "Hand in My Pocket" & Hand

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/06/23

On this jagged little podcast we discuss Alanis Morisette's first hit and what she's done since. Amazing what a woman with pockets can do.Of course we're talking about hands, including the etymology of the word, and also the fingers, and also various hand signs such as the high five. In Eurovision talk, we discuss the UK's 2024 offering, "Dizzy" by Olly Alexander. And we chat a bit about the Tiktok hand dancing trend. Find us on instagram here:

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02:08:23

Interstellar Song Contest & Fictional Languages

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/06/09

Today, building on our discussion last week with Michelle Troszak, creator of the Interstellar Song Contest, we talk about fictional languages. We have all your favorites except for the Game of Thrones ones! Klingon! Elvish! Simlish! Furbish! Wenja from Far Cry! And more!In Eurovision, we talk about space-themed songs throughout the years. Remember to check out the Interstellar Song Contest at any of the following links: The full show (like a radio show

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00:48:32

Michelle Troszak Interstellar Song Contest Interview

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/06/02

Today we talk to Michelle Troszak, founder of Skysail Theatre, about her new musical, The Interstellar Song Contest. This episode is part 1 of our discussion on fictional languages, which will conclude in next week's episode. The Interstellar Song Contest currently exists as a cast recording and a radio show in podcast format. Find Michelle, Skysail Theatre, and the show at the following links! The full show (like a radio show

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02:11:01

The Decemberists "Myla Goldberg" & Spelling Bee

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/05/26

Maybe a lesser known Decemberists song, but probably one of the first ones I ever heard, we talk about "Myla Goldberg", and the person who it's about, author of the novel Bee Season. Lots of spoilers for people who have not read it and intend to, so watch out.We discuss the spelling bee. How'd it start and what are the rules? And why is it only an English thing? In Eurovision, we discuss a song in which they spell something, San Marino 2024's "11:11" by Megara. Find

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01:33:26

Vampire Weekend "Capricorn" & Capricorn

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/05/12

We discuss the OG oxford comma enthusiasts, Vampire Weekend, the first hit song off their new album, and everyone's favorite goat-fish astrological sign, the capricorn. What are capricorns like? Where'd the goat and fish combo come from? What's the age of capricorn going to be like? Why are you asking us all these questions? In Eurovision, we'll talk about Italy's 2024 entry "La Noia" by Angelina Mango. Find us on instagram here:

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01:58:23

Paula Abdul "Straight Up" & Irregular Verbs

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/04/28

This one's for the grammar nerds! (But not such grammar nerds that you'll cringe at all the stuff we inevitably got wrong.)We're talking about Paula Abdul's greatest hit "Straight Up", and we're talking about irregular verbs, particularly about verbs that used to be irregular but are now regular, and about other words which are actually formerly irregular verb forms but we now use them for something else. Think of "wrought iron" or "what has God

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01:44:53

Shrek the Musical & Gross

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/04/14

Today we discuss Shrek the Musical, the live action musical play version of the first Shrek movie. How did this get made? Should it have been?And we talk about the origin and many different meanings of gross. In Eurovision talk, we discuss Ireland's "Doomsday Blues" by Bambie Thug. Huge thanks to Patsy Walker for the use of our theme song “Who’s Wordy Now”! Find Patsy on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@patsywalker1481 This week’s promoted podcast is Beyond the Shadows. Find

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02:17:03

Ceelo Green "Forget You" & Dementia

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/03/31

We discuss Ceelo Green's big hit (the radio edit) "Forget You", and we go deep into the evolution of the word dementia and society's ideas about it.For Eurovision, we do Slovenia's song "Viktoria" by Raiven. Check out another podcast in our network, Crime & Spirits, you can find them here https://linktr.ee/crimeandspiritspodcast Find them, us, and lots of other great podcasts on our network, podmoth.network Special thanks as always to Patsy Walker for our

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02:16:07

Jack Harlow "Lovin on Me" & Whips

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/03/17

We talk about Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow and the history of the whip, as a word and as a thing! Different types, whippings through the ages, whips in fiction . . .For Eurovision, we talk about the Czech Republic's 2024 competitor, Aiko's "Pedestal", and we talk about trilled R's and the Czech Republic's unpronounceable variant on a trilled R. This week's featured podcast is My Second Self and I. Find them here:

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01:49:13

4 Non Blondes "What's Up" & Greetings

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/03/03

This week we talk about the 4 Non Blondes' one hit song from their one album. Why does it get so much hate? What’s under Linda Perry’s hat? Is it meth? And is Dolly Parton okay?We tell you about various greetings and their origins. Looking to spice up your saying hello to people game? We’ve got you covered. And in Eurovision we talk about Romania’s 2023 song, D.G.T. by Theodor Andrei. Enjoy it because there will be no Romania in 2024! Huge thanks to Patsy Walker for the use of our theme song

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02:11:53

White Stripes "Icky Thump" & The Ick

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/02/18

Today we discuss famous brother and sister duo Jack and Meg White. Explain cow punk. And talk about Lay Bankz' "Lady Boner Gone".Then we get into the ick. What is it? Who has it? How can you avoid giving it to girls? Is it problematic? For Eurovision, we'll tell you about Netherlands' Joost Klein and the Frysian people and their language. Spoiler, it's very close to English. On this episode, our featured ad is the podcast Saturdays are for the Ghouls. Find them anywhere

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01:54:37

AI Drake and the Weeknd "Heart on my Sleeve" & AI

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/02/05

Today we discuss Ghostwriter's faux Drake and Weeknd song made using "AI". We talk the ethics of it. The news and controversy around it. The concept of digital blackface. And we talk about AI generally and some of the words and terms that have arisen such as hallucination. In Eurovision, we talk about Luxembourg, who is returning to the contest this year after thirty years of not participating. Small country, but they're a pretty big deal as they have five wins under their

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02:14:48

Little Big Skibidi Toilet & Nonsense Words

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/01/21

We try to make sense of the Skibidi Toilet youtube videos and trace the word skibidi which really gets around, from Little Big's song "skibidi" to Biser King's "Dom Dom Yes Yes". We discuss the history of nonsense words with various examples including nonce words, sniglets, wugs, etc. And of course Lewis Carroll. In Eurovision, we discuss the troubled past of Russia and the Eurovision song contest. Today's featured podcast is Speak of the Devil. Find them anywhere

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02:07:24

Bobby Darin "Beyond the Sea" & Sea Creatures

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2024/01/07

Today we talk about the classic Bobby Darin song and the original song which it was based on. We also talk about his life and career generally. In etymology, we discuss the origin of various aquatic animals' names, including whales, dolphins, and cuttlefish . . . We also talk generally about the relationship between naming and observation. We talked about water animals, so for Eurovision we talked about Waterloo, the hit song by Abba that won Eurovision in 1974 and really changed the

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01:48:09

The Neighbourhood "Sweater Weather" & Sweaters

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2023/12/22

It's the holiday season! Today we discuss The Neighbourhood's hit song "Sweater Weather" and the history of the sweater. Why did we settle on SWEAT as the thing to name an article of clothing after? We'll talk about that, the etymology of "sweat" and other words for sweater like jumper, and generally how this particular sort of knitted shirt came to be so uniquely iconic We also consider other non-religious winter seasonal songs, including "Brrr" by Kim

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01:17:16

Metallica "Welcome Home" & Sanitarium

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2023/12/10

Today we talk about Metallica. Are they objectively bad? We talk about the song "Welcome Home" (that's the song where they say "sanitarium"). What's it about, what's it based on, that kind of stuff. We talk about sanitariums. What were they? How did they work? We also talk about backronyms. In Eurovision talk, we discuss Germany's "Blood and Glitter" by Lord of the Lost. This weeks featured podcast is Haunted Apartment Complex. Check them out anywhere

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02:10:10

Harvey Danger "Flagpole Sitta" & Beige Flags

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2023/11/26

It's cuffing season, and we're talking about beige flags, things about a romantic partner that are not bad enough to be red flags, more like quirky or mildly annoying. Where did this phrase come from? What are some examples of beige flags? By the way, where does this word flag come from, etymologically? We also talk about the flagpole sitting craze of the 1920s. Yes, people literally sat on flagpoles. And for Eurovision, we discuss Armenia's 2023 offering, "Future Lover" by

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01:48:08

"Yes We Have No Bananas" & Bananas

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2023/11/12

Today we see what was the most popular song from exactly 100 years ago in 1923. And wow, it's weird. But it's nicely rooted in the history and culture of the time and tells us a lot about ethnicity, comedy, and the precarious fate of the banana at the time. So we dive into all that. Additionally we give you the history and etymology of banana of course. And we talk about its relation to comedy and why 'bananas' means crazy, and so on. In Eurovision, we discuss the top 6 funniest

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01:43:06

Boris Pickett "Monster Mash" & Monster

Getting Down & Wordy ·

2023/10/29

Today we discuss Hannah's favorite song so she'll stop suggesting we do an episode about it every week. We talk about the pop culture of movie monsters that it arose from, and the pop culture of songs about dance crazes. We explain the origin of the word monster and what words it's related to. And we explore the history of the idea of a monster. Where did it begin, and how has it evolved over time. Additionally we discuss some of the class Universal monsters. In Eurovision, we talk

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111 results

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