115. Keep Calm and

The Allusionist

Helen Zaltzman

Arts, Education, Words, Linguistics, History, Entertainment, Helen Zaltzman, Etymology, Society & Culture

4.7 • 3.8K Ratings

🗓️ 16 May 2020

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Twenty years ago, a 1939 poster printed by the British government with the words ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ turned up in a second-hand bookshop in Northern England. And lo! A decor trend was born: teatowels, T-shirts, mugs, phone cases, condoms, and a zillion riffs on the phrase. Bookshop owner Stuart Manley talks about unearthing the poster that spawned countless imitations; author Owen Hatherley explains why the poster was NOT popular when it was originally printed at the start of World War 2; and psychologist and therapist Jane Gregory considers whether being told to keep calm can keep us calm.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thanks to Canva for sponsoring the illusionist and for helping me address a massive gap in
0:07.6	my skills, I know, can you believe it? A gap in my skills says it isn't so, it is so.
0:12.8	Being a podcaster, I'm good at making noises. But visuals? Not great. I didn't get into
0:19.8	audio making because I'm good at visuals, but people do sure love looking at stuff.
0:25.9	I don't blame you. The first bite of the internet is with the eye mouths, as they say.
0:30.4	So, like many of my podcaster friends, how did you make that cool thing? Oh, I used Canva.
0:36.2	I'm using Canva to spruce up my game on Instagram and the slides for the illusionist live shows
0:41.6	and YouTube where the podcast is now available, but with currently zero visual interest.
0:46.5	Not for too much longer though. I am really excited to play with all this and will update you with
0:51.3	my progress on my journey to visuals. Why don't you join me? And if you work with people,
0:56.3	you can design and collaborate with Canva for teams. Right now, you can get a free 45 day extended
1:02.3	trial when you go to Canva.me slash illusionist. That's C-A-N-V-A-DOT-ME slash illusionist.
1:10.4	For a free 45 day extended trial, Canva.me slash illusionist.
1:22.2	This is the illusionist in which I, Helen Zoltzman, hear a lot from language about its homemade
1:27.1	kombucha. Oh, Scobies and acronym is it and it's your yeasty son. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
1:34.4	Coming up in today's show is something that's red and white and annoying all over
1:39.9	in my highly subjective assessment. On with the show.
1:51.3	Keep calm and carry on.
1:58.9	Keep calm and carry on. Maybe you've seen it on mugs on T-Tiles, on cushions, fun cases,
2:11.2	t-shirts, on bags, on birthday cards. Maybe it's on home right now.
2:19.1	The 21st century enthusiasm for Keep calm and carry on can be traced back to a second hand
2:25.9	bookshop in a restored railway station in Annick on the northeast coast of England.
	...

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