29. WLTM part II

The Allusionist

Helen Zaltzman

Words, Entertainment, Education, History, Etymology, Helen Zaltzman, Linguistics, Arts

4.7 • 3.8K Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2016

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You’re looking for your perfect partner, but dating sites keep matching you with duds. So what do you do? Conduct an elaborate linguistic experiment, of course!

At least, that was futurist Amy Webb’s response to the situation. But did it work?

For full show notes and links, visit http://theallusionist.org/wltm-ii. Hear WLTM part I at http://theallusionist.org/wltm-i.

Say hello at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the allusionist in which I, Helen Salzman, wait for language to get its Netflix
0:08.8	revival.
0:10.2	Coming up in today's show, one woman's linguistic experiment to win at online dating.
0:15.2	Let's warm up for that with a little word history, the etymology of Adorable.
0:19.9	Ah, cute!
0:21.5	No!
0:22.5	Well, only after 1710 or thereabouts.
0:26.1	But before then, worthy of worship, because a door which English got from French, which
0:31.0	got it from Latin, meant worship and bowed down and pray.
0:34.6	Though actually there are plenty other words that have become far more complimentary than
0:38.5	their roots.
0:39.5	Awesome has drifted from its quaking in the face of God connotations, terrific isn't so terrifying
0:44.5	anymore, and sick isn't just a pile of something you step around on the pavement outside of
0:48.6	a bar.
0:49.6	Oh, and cute!
0:50.6	Used to mean clever or shrewd, an abbreviation of acute, which meant sharp, or in the case
0:55.7	of disease, quick and severe.
0:57.5	Oh, your baby is so quick and severe.
1:00.2	Yeah, I'm going to need to fund a new compliment.
1:03.0	On with the show.
1:06.2	There's a problem with online dating.
1:11.3	Fundamentally these sites are not set up to match you, you know, they can't be.
	...

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