Thanks to Canva for sponsoring the illusionist and for helping me address a massive gap in

my skills, I know, can you believe it? A gap in my skills says it isn't so, it is so.

Being a podcaster, I'm good at making noises. But visuals? Not great. I didn't get into

audio making because I'm good at visuals, but people do sure love looking at stuff.

I don't blame you. The first bite of the internet is with the eye mouths, as they say.

So, like many of my podcaster friends, how did you make that cool thing? Oh, I used Canva.

I'm using Canva to spruce up my game on Instagram and the slides for the illusionist live shows

and YouTube where the podcast is now available, but with currently zero visual interest.

Not for too much longer though. I am really excited to play with all this and will update you with

my progress on my journey to visuals. Why don't you join me? And if you work with people,

you can design and collaborate with Canva for teams. Right now, you can get a free 45 day extended

trial when you go to Canva.me slash illusionist. That's C-A-N-V-A-DOT-ME slash illusionist.

For a free 45 day extended trial, Canva.me slash illusionist.

This is the illusionist in which I Helen Zoltzman,

played you with language on a giant floor piano. Here at the illusionist, I'm often asked,

is this term racist about words like picnic, which we learned in the 2015 bonus episode of the show?

Does not have racist etymology. And I think we should steer clear of inventing racial origins

for terms because there are already so many that do have them. Baldo's a tipping point,

grandfathering, selling down the river, jipped, cakewalk, peanut gallery, and the French word for

ghost writer. I was fascinated to hear an investigation of this term on the NPR podcast,

Rough Translation. And they have very kindly allowed me to play their piece for you now.

Content note, the piece is about and therefore contains offensive terms. And towards the end of

...