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Why Do We Use Cringey Words for Loved Ones?

Season 4 Episode 4 | 9m 11s

Why do we use such unusual words for the people we love? From baby to bunny, two thirds of American adults refer to their romantic partners by a pet name. And we’ve been doing this for a long time—the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary traces terms of endearment over a thousand years. But where do all these pet names come from?

Aired: 04/24/24
Extras
Children are sponges for language acquisition. Which leads us to ask the question: how much does TV
We already know that English borrows from everybody, but can it be considered a Creole language?
How do you teach children to read? This question is at the heart of a decades-long battle.
The English language is chock full of sailing jargon but why is that?
How do we communicate without words? With our bodies. Body language!
What is the best tool for cult leaders to control other people? It’s the power of language.
Headlines have sprung up all over declaring that the Southern American dialect is on its way out.
Let’s dig deep and find out why certain names simply fall out of fashion.
There are many words you say incorrectly but don’t know you are saying incorrectly.
Linguists use language everyday to solve crimes. Let’s take a look the most famous ones!
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Children are sponges for language acquisition. Which leads us to ask the question: how much does TV
We already know that English borrows from everybody, but can it be considered a Creole language?
How do you teach children to read? This question is at the heart of a decades-long battle.
The English language is chock full of sailing jargon but why is that?
How do we communicate without words? With our bodies. Body language!
What is the best tool for cult leaders to control other people? It’s the power of language.
Headlines have sprung up all over declaring that the Southern American dialect is on its way out.
Let’s dig deep and find out why certain names simply fall out of fashion.
There are many words you say incorrectly but don’t know you are saying incorrectly.
Linguists use language everyday to solve crimes. Let’s take a look the most famous ones!