This week’s word gets Emily and Kyle one step closer to enlightenment. Well, linguistic enlightenment, if not spiritual. Settle in for a crash course in eastern Buddhism, a ponderous paradox or two, and the history of the word koan.

This week, the Lexiconicon drags Kyle and Emily to Wordition, a hellish realm of scribal errors. Plunging the duo into the fiery margins of medieval manuscripts, the pair must banish an infernal force that now possesses Seth the morally ambiguous word wizard.

Kyle and Emily kick Spooky Season into high gear with a word that is sure to shake you to your core. Come with us, only if you dare, to learn about the spooky, scary, and definitely unsanitary necropants.

This week, Emily and Kyle are joined by Gary Reddin, the creator of the modern-day bestiary Monstrum Obscura, to discuss ‘Blemmyes,’ an etymologically puzzling word that may cause you to lose your head about it.

Kyle’s been burning the midnight oil to show Emily the things that go bump in the night. Turns out the frighteningly named lychnobite isn’t so scary after all!

This week, Kyle and Emily fall into autumn with the warm, withering filemot. From feuille-morte to folium, the journey of this delicate hue reveals a surprising history of paper, pastry, and petals, and flitters freely like a leaf in a fall breeze into much, much more.

This week, Butter No Parsnips welcomes back author, podcaster, and etymological powerhouse Jess Zafarris, whose latest book Useless Etymology proves that it is anything but!

Kyle and Emily enter the arena this week for a word of derision, spectacle, and ancient sport: ludibrious.

Emily and Kyle learn what the average Steve does for a living, what makes shipping so expensive, and who swears like a sailor (aside from a sailor), as they explore the history of the word stevedore.

Kyle and Emily get a little impolite, discussing the meaning and origin of churlish—a word you might’ve heard before but has plenty to surprise you!

This week, Emily and Kyle are tackling the great panjandrum himself, exploring the humorous origins and unexpected usage of this decidedly impressive word.

EPICnyms are back! In this, the fifth (third?) installment of the EPICnyms series, Emily and Seth take you on a ride from phooey to philosophy.

This week, Kyle and Emily are joined by special guest Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl, as they take a deep dive into catachresis, a word that stretches the very concept of meaning and walks the line between metaphor and malfunction.

Emily and Kyle take a look through their calendar… and through the history of the calendar, as they discuss the meaning and origin of the word calends.

This week, Kyle and Emily are shaking things up! They discuss the meaning and origin of the word quagswagging, a quivering, swaggering word with a delightful ring to it.

Emily’s feeling generous this week, so she’s gifted Kyle a word with a delightful meaning and fascinating origin, lagniappe.

Kyle and Emily get to work at their favorite side hustle, separating “work” from “bywork” and unpacking the meaning and origin of the word parergon.

This week, Emily and Kyle get their vacation time approved and finally take that holiday to France, exploring the meaning and origin of the word congé along the way.

Kyle and Emily look at the meaning and origin of vignette, a word which gives them snapshots of life in everything from illuminated manuscripts to early photography, and from book illustrations to theatrical tableaus.

Emily and Kyle put on their warmest coats and travel up North, braving cold weather and accent challenges to discuss the meaning and origin of the word nesh.