Mailbag: The Recorder, Limos, and “Baby on Board” Signs

Decoder Ring

Slate Podcasts

Documentary, History, Society & Culture

4.6 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 1 November 2023

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We receive a lot of fantastic show ideas from our listeners—and we’re grateful for each and every one. For our latest mailbag episode, we’re tackling five of your questions, including “Why the hell do we teach kids to play the recorder?” (We’re paraphrasing a bit.) Also: We’ll explore the rise and fall of the stretch limo, the incredible versatility of the word “like,” the meaning of the “Baby on Board” sign, and why it took so long to develop luggage with wheels. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. This episode was also produced by Rosemary Belson. Derek John is executive producer. Joel Meyer is senior editor/producer. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Thank you to every listener who has submitted a suggestion for an episode. We truly appreciate your ideas. We read them all, even if we don’t always respond. Thanks for being a listener and for thinking creatively about this show. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends. If you’re a fan of the show, we’d love for you to sign up for Slate Plus. Members get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads. Their support is also crucial to our work. So please go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Music
0:10.0	Lad Brooks Live, the new way to win thousands of free tickets to electrifying live events.
0:19.0	Sign up at ladbrookslive.co.uk
0:22.0	18 plus UK max 1 account per individual
0:25.0	Enter free draws to win event tickets from designated list
0:28.0	to win per week, restrictions and TNC's apply.
0:35.0	Liz Devinson grew up in a suburb outside of Boston
0:38.0	and at her elementary school, you always did this one thing come third grade.
0:42.0	You always learned the recorder.
0:45.0	You know, this recorder.
0:54.0	I learned to play the recorder in fourth grade
0:57.0	and learning to do so is a common elementary school experience.
1:01.0	Even if it is not always a malifluous one.
1:05.0	Instead of going to the regular music classroom,
1:07.0	we would do this in what was called the multi-purpose room.
1:10.0	This big open room where they would put in like risers,
1:13.0	I do remember thinking we sound bad.
1:16.0	If you played the recorder or know someone who did,
1:18.0	you can probably imagine the sounds emanating from the multi-purpose room.
1:23.0	All I remember learning is hot cross-bonds.
1:27.0	And like, camp town races.
1:32.0	I think the only one that I mastered was hot cross-bonds.
	...

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