161. Filemot

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.

Our hosts uncover how a French shade once beloved in poetry and fashion made its way into English. They trace the word through Locke’s philosophy and Swift’s satire, with a delightful nod to the filing systems of archivists.

From autumn color palettes to forgotten pastry doughs, filemot is a word that whispers its meanings through centuries of transformation. And whether it appears on a painter’s canvas, a head of hair, or a shelf of aging folios, it remains, as ever, somewhere between fading and flourishing.