20. Scorigami
Strap in, sports fans, because Emily and Kyle are talking about the crazy scoring of American football, the constant evolution of modern language, and the creative word-smithery of Lewis Carroll.
19. Soigné
Take a taste of the high life as Kyle and Emily weasel their way into the upper class intrigue of the 19th century, meet the first muppet president of Iceland, and play a long game of telephone – er, letters, we guess.
18. Squint
Think you know this word already? Take another squint at it, as Emily tells Kyle about some protrusive parish architecture, a comparably cushy form of seclusion, and a seriously saucy group of nuns.
17. Smaragdine
In this episode Kyle “dazzles” Emily with an ancient and magical word, alerts the world to the existence of the “werely porpapyne”, and we learn that “smaradge” isn’t just from a The Princess Bride bit.
16. Popinjay
This week Emily and Kyle answer such beastly questions as: What does it mean to have a parrot on your coat of arms? Who gets to be the Popinjay King? and What are the best (and worst) animal sounds?
14. Anagrams
On this terrifying episode of Butter No Parsnips, your hosts Kyle Imperatore and Emily Moyers are joined by the spirit of Seth Gliksman as he cracks open the sacred Lexiconicon to peer deep into the weird word world. Through divination and conjuration and prestidigitation, Seth shares the hidden mysteries of anagrams gone by before the Lexiconicon beckons him back to the realm whence he came.
13. Picaresque with Jackie Quaranto
In our first ever guest episode, Kyle and Emily are joined by fellow word enthusiast Jackie to discuss Spanish rascals, a beloved Australian children’s book, and a questionable career move for several actors.
12. Tantivy
Tantivy, soho! Saddle up and ride tantivy with yokels Kyle and Emily as they discover the Lexicon Balatronicum, flashback to slander the likeness of an old friend, and sing their little hearts out (if you don’t leave this one humming, you’ve got no groove).
11. Quincunx
Kyle might find it hard to believe that this word has multiple meanings--but Emily reveals how “quincunx” relates to a short-lived Roman coin, a bizarre horticultural book, and even a common board game piece.
10. Abecedary
In this third of a line of ‘y’-ending words: Emily describes the day-to-day of Mayor of Thebes and man-about-tomb, Senefer, Kyle introduces the sport of battledore (not a colosseum-style fight to the death), and the two discuss the meaning of some pneumatic mnemonics.
9. Calumny
Kyle twiddles his fingers in excitement as Emily deciphers the Middle English writings of a female saint, airs the grievances of a 17th century French incel, and finds a symbol of empowerment in the most unlikely of places.
8. Logomachy
Strap in for the long haul as Kyle takes Emily on a deep-dive into the hidden intentions of the Hermetic tradition, the biography of real ladies-man Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (yes, he’s definitely single, trust me), and a seriously strange suffix.
7. Afflatus
Emily brings Kyle the oldest word this podcast has seen, Stoic hero Quintus Columbo McCarthy takes on the world’s greatest injustices, and Jon Voight reveals his most famous catchphrase.
5. Spaghettification
This week, Emily presents Kyle’s dream episode--in which he tells us about his pasta-related roots, learns about something called “Arp,” and talks about the gagadoodoononsense play King Ubu.
3. Scrofula
Emily and Kyle delve into the extensive lore of the vampire Count Scrofula, 16th century pitchman Bilius Mays hawks his exclusive Angel Coins, and the Bills of Mortality are both too specific and too vague.
2. Autoschediasm
Kyle and Emily skippity-doo on a brisk walk with Richard Simmons, plan their English vacation to the village of Westward Ho!, and list their favorite fictional babies that may (or may not) appear in a Dickensian socialist fairy tale.
1. Billingsgate
Emily brings the delightful sounds and swears of a London fish market, reads excerpts from the Grose-est dictionary ever written, and demonstrates why Kyle should never cross the roast-master Adam Gibb.