Allusionist 49: Bonus 2016
Allusionist 48: Winterval
There's a word that has become shorthand for 'the war on Christmas' with a side of 'political correctness gone mad': Winterval.
It began in November 1998. Newspapers furiously accused Birmingham City Council of renaming Christmas when it ran festive events under the name 'Winterval'. The council's then-head of events Mike Chubb explains the true meaning of Winterval.
Read MoreAllusionist 47: The Year Without A Summer
Today: a tale of darkness, gathering storms, and a terrifying creature that resembles a human man...
No, nothing topical: it's The Year Without A Summer, the story of how Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, which first appeared on Eric Molinsky's excellent podcast Imaginary Worlds.
Read MoreAllusionist 46: The State Of It
Each of the 50 states in the USA has its own motto. The motto might be found on the state seal, or the state flag; more often than not, it might be in Latin, or Spanish, or Chinook; it might be a phrase or a single word. And if you think you know what yours is, check that it is not in fact an advertising slogan.
Read MoreAllusionist 45: Eponyms II - Name That Disease
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I'm one. I recommend it.
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If you love eponyms like Roman Mars loves eponyms, I'm afraid physician Isaac Siemens is here to deliver some bad news: medics are ditching them, in favour of terms that a) contain information about what the ailment actually is, and/or b) don't honour Nazi war criminals. Eponyms are controversial things.
MORE EPONYMFORMATION:
- Who named it?
- A potted guide to medical eponyms.
- Dr Henry Heimlich, aged 96, saves a stranger's life with his eponymous manoeuvre.
- Read about the many different people involved in researching Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome, and how the condition may have led to the deposal of King Otto of Greece.
- What to do if a medical condition is named after a Nazi...
- ...because there's a non-zero chance that it is.
- Was Dr Asperger a Nazi?
- Stigler's Law of Eponymy: no scientific discovery is named after its original discoverer.
- The transcript of this episode is at theallusionist.org/transcripts/name-that-disease.
- Listen to Allusionist 21: Eponyms I - The Ballad of Bic and Biro.
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MAILCHIMP'S RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
vibrissae
CREDITS:
- Isaac Siemens is resident physician in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. He says, "Eat your vegetables."
- Roman Mars is the host of 99% Invisible and the founder of Radiotopia. It's his birthday today, so become a Radiotopia supporter at radiotopia.fm right now or there'll be tears before bedtime.
- Veronica Simmonds came up with the idea and helped produce this episode. She produces Sleepover for CBC Radio, and the radio show in which she braids hair, Braidio.
- This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with Devon Taylor. Thanks to Steve Cross and Ross MacFarlane. The music is by Martin Austwick.
- HZ
The Allusionist is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Support the collective by becoming a donor at radiotopia.fm.
Allusionist 44: This Is Your Brain On Language
