This is the illusionist in which I, Helen Zoltzmann, am a PI hired by a mysterious client

to investigate language. After weeks of staking out languages home, sifting through languages

bins, putting on funny voices to call languages business associates and family members,

and taking grainy long lens photos of language at the supermarket and driving range, and

car park of a CD motel, I compile a dossier and shove it into a Manila envelope stamped

top secret, so I can't tell you what's in it. Unless you hire me to investigate what's

in the envelope. Today's show is in three parts about

alter egos, when your name, the words by which the world refers to you, is replaced by

another for certain purposes. There is once where in this episode, which you may notice

like a single P under your stack of mattresses. This is the 98th episode of the illusionist,

which means we're only two away from the 100th, and to gently celebrate this base 10 landmark,

I have a request. Record yourself saying the best thing you've learned about language

from the illusionist. If your answer is nothing, that's okay. Maybe sit this one out though,

if you can think of a thing, fire up voice memo on your phone or such like, and record

yourself for a few seconds, and then email the recording to illusionistshowatgmail.com.

On with the show. Part 1. Do a deer, a female deer, and also an unidentified corpse.

Do do do do do do do do do do do don. Do who is? Do don't do an unidentified, dead man.

All in a legal case, and a name that's fake. The female equivalent is Jane.

Jon. A very common name that is followed up by do. You'll find it in a court case.

When the plaintiffs in Kognito, O-O. It's on brand for Jon Do that nobody's sure who he was,

or why his name came to be used for a man alive or dead, identity unknown or concealed in a legal

matter. Today it's mostly just the USA that recast people as Jon Do and female counterpart Jane Do.

...