In this, the final episode of season 6, we join the Word of the Year Committee to discuss which word was crowned the Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year 2021, the selection process and other words from the short list. Join us as we explore ou

#42 The 50 Words Project

Oct 18th, 2021 19m 13s

In this episode of Word for Word, Melissa Kemble and Alison Moore interview Professor Rachel Nordlinger and Associate Professor Nick Thieberger, two linguists from the University of Melbourne about the 50 Words Project, which aims to provide a

#41 C U Next Tuesday

Oct 5th, 2021 19m 1s

In this special expletive-laden episode of Word for Word, Melissa Kemble interviews linguist and academic Kate Burridge from Monash University about swearing. Warning, this episode contains A LOT of bad language. Join us as we explore our langu

#40 Word Watch

Sep 20th, 2021 19m 21s

In this episode of Word for Word, we discuss the new words that have caught our attention over the past few months. Consider this a sneak peek of the words that might appear on the Macquarie Word of the Year list shortlist! Join us as we explor

#39 Animal Slang

Sep 6th, 2021 19m 22s

In this, the first episode of the new season of Word for Word, the Macquarie team discuss some of the funniest (and rudest) Aussie animal slang. Join us as we explore our language: the ways we use it, the ways we abuse it, and the ways we ultim

#38 Word of the Decade

Mar 3rd, 2021 19m 55s

In this episode of Word for Word, we are joined by Tiger Webb from the ABC to chat about the inaugural Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Decade. Find our which words have had staying power and which have fallen out of use. Join us as we explore

#37 Word of the year 2020

Dec 4th, 2020 34m 44s

In this episode of Word for Word, we are joined by members of the Word of the Year Committee to discuss which word was crowned the Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year, the selection process and other words from the shortlist Join us as we exp

#36 Word Watch

Jul 22nd, 2020 22m 40s

In this episode of our special "in-iso" season, we chat about new words on the team's radar. Our editors discuss the Karen phenomenon and Beyoncé, while Chief Editor Alison Moore explains dictionary headwords and how two words can win Word of t

#35 A pandemic of new words

Jul 15th, 2020 16m 4s

Language around the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve. In this episode of our special "in-iso" season, the team chat about some of the new words that have come into usage as a result of life in the times of COVID. Join us as we

#34 The shifting nature of pronunciation

Jun 24th, 2020 18m 59s

In this special “iso edition” episode, we take a small detour from talking about the virus to chat with Chief Editor Alison Moore about one of her favourite things — pronunciation. Join us as we explore our language: the ways we use it, the wa

#33 New word mashups

Jun 17th, 2020 11m 17s

In this special “iso edition” episode, we chat about some of the many new words that have emerged from the global pandemic of COVID-19. One of the most common ways new words are made is by word mashups, or portmanteau words. The massive societa

#32 Defining COVID-19

Jun 3rd, 2020 11m 5s

In this new episode of a special "in iso" edition of the podcast, Senior Editor Vic Morgan shares some of the different names we use for the virus—from COVID-19 to the Rona. Plus, she clears up the confusion between the meaning of epidemic and

Bonus

#31 Fishing for cats, dogs & hats

Jan 28th, 2020 9m 36s

From catfishing and FOMO, to the rise of the ‘influencer’, the internet is a rich source for ever-evolving slang words and expressions. In this special bonus episode, we look at popular internet terms, abbreviations and acronyms that have made

#30 It’s Wine Time!

Jan 16th, 2020 19m 28s

In this episode we are talking about all things wine! From the origins of slang and regionalisms to varietals and naming, as well as the many words used to describe the aromatics and taste of wines. Plus, the team does some investigative work a

#29 Word of the Year 2019

Dec 4th, 2019 20m 24s

It's that time! Take a peek behind the scenes with us as Macquarie Dictionary chooses its 2019 Word of the Year. We once again join the Word of the Year Committee meeting, hosted at Macquarie HW, as they debate which word best represents the ye

#28 Talkin’ tech-savvy terminology

Nov 20th, 2019 16m 10s

In this episode we explore the language of technology. How did we speak about the burgeoning computer age 30 years ago, and how do we speak about technology now? The team investigates the words that we have used to talk about technology - those

#27 Word Watch

Oct 24th, 2019 24m 48s

New words and meanings are constantly being created, with some of these passing by in the blink of an eye, while others have more staying power. In this episode, the team talks about the ways new words are created, and take a closer look at som

#26 Polari

Oct 22nd, 2019 38m 14s

Secret languages abound in history and in modern culture, with words occasionally making the leap into the mainstream of spoken English. In this episode we example the secret language of Polari with Professor Paul Baker and Colleen Windor of Le

#25 Word of the Year 2018

Jan 15th, 2019 20m 45s

It's that time! Take a peek behind the scenes with us as Macquarie Dictionary chooses its 2018 Word of the Year. In this episode tag along to the secret Word of the Year committee meeting hosted at Macquarie HQ, featuring guest judges Rae Joh

#24 Crosswords and cryptographs

Dec 2nd, 2018 28m 28s

Can a cryptic crossword really preserve your memory and super-charge your brain? Australia's favourite cruciverbalist, David "Don't Attempt" Astle, investigates. Meanwhile, the Macquarie team decrypts linguistic mysteries, ciphers and puzzles,

#23 Noongar: The pulse of language

Nov 25th, 2018 24m 27s

In Indigenous cultures, traditional languages are bound up with family, history and place. In this episode, we meet three Noongar people - Miles Franklin-winning novelist Kim Scott; music historian Clint Bracknell; and performer and director Ky

#22 Forensic linguistics, crime & punishment

Nov 6th, 2018 32m 35s

When it comes to bugging a suspect, re-interpreting a dusty statute, or presenting evidence in a criminal trial, the shifting tides of language draw the law with them. In this episode, forensic linguist Dr Helen Fraser tests our ear-witness fal

Bonus

#21 For the love of words

Mar 29th, 2018 15m 20s

Surprise! We're back with another bonus episode, featuring some funny, fascinating, unaired tidbits from Season 2. Also, you can vote for us in the Australian Podcast Awards! Voting closes 1st April, so head to this link posthaste: bit.ly/2pP

Bonus

#20 Take a bow, Sue Butler

Mar 22nd, 2018 17m 8s

So ... we have news. It's officially the end of an era. Our long-time Editor Sue Butler is putting away her pencil and catalogue cards to retire, after 48 years at Macquarie Dictionary. Join us as we look back with Sue at her incredible caree

Bonus

#19 Word of the Year 2017

Jan 29th, 2018 30m 55s

It's that time! Take a peek behind the scenes with us as Macquarie Dictionary chooses its 2017 Word of the Year. We sidle into the secret Word of the Year committee meeting, featuring guest judges Dr Karl and Tiger Webb of ABC Language. The