Lexitecture

Ryan Paulsen and Amy Hanlon

A Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) talking about the words in the English language that fascinate them most at the moment, looking at their histories and origins and trying to piece together just how they got to where they are today.

  • 51 minutes 38 seconds
    Episode 139: Salient Kaleidoscope

    Narrator voice: The 'monthly schedule' was not, in fact, a thing.

    Nevertheless, we're BACK (again).

    In this episode, Amy really jumps out at you with "salient", while Ryan observes beauty in a tube with "kaleidoscope".

    For those who like looking at amazing feats of music-video-ness, here's OK GO with "Love"!

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    13 March 2026, 6:37 pm
  • 36 minutes 45 seconds
    Episode 138: Balaclava Cardigan Sandwich Crapper

    It has been, decidedly, WAAYYYYY too long, but we're (well... more specifically I'm) back with a new episode!

    As you'll hear, we really do deeply appreciate those of you who are still subscribed to our show, and particularly our longsuffering and cherished Patreon supporters who are, quite literally, why this show is still able to keep going. THANK YOU!!

    In this episode, Ryan is taking a journey through a grab-bag of eponyms/toponyms/neither with "Cardigan", "Balaclava", "Sandwich" and "Crapper".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    23 October 2025, 3:38 am
  • 1 hour 7 minutes
    Episode 137: Blackmail Juggernaut

    We're back and it looks like 'monthly' is our new for-real schedule! WOO!

    In this episode, Amy pays the unscrupulous rent with "blackmail", while Ryan communes with a Hindu effigy known as "Juggernaut".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    28 April 2025, 4:52 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Episode 136: Carfax Wealth

    The sun may be setting on the third month of 2025, but it's not gone yet, and here we are with our third episode of the year!

    In this episode, Amy squares up against "carfax", while Ryan discovers a stowaway suffix in a pile of "wealth".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    31 March 2025, 3:21 am
  • 1 hour 11 minutes
    Episode 135: Haughty Orange

    We're back!!

    In this episode, Amy looks loftiyl at "haughty", while Ryan ponders a sweet and colourful examply of 'chicken vs egg with "orange".

    For those curious about the colour "pewke", here is a list that features an example of the colour.

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    2 March 2025, 7:35 pm
  • 1 hour 12 minutes
    Episode 134: Destroy Present

    We're back!!

    In this episode, Amy looks at a sneaky compound with "destroy", while Ryan considers the nature of time and gifts with "present".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    26 January 2025, 4:52 pm
  • 1 hour 7 seconds
    Episode 133: Scavenger Road

    In this episode, Amy just throws around needless "n"s with impunity during a solid "scavenge", while Ryan goes from place to place, possibly with hostility, along the "road".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    7 August 2024, 2:45 am
  • 15 minutes 51 seconds
    Episode 132: Sparkle Crackle Twinkle Paddle Waddle Dazzle Hobble Wriggle Nuzzle

    In this episode, Amy is elsewhere completely while Ryan is appreciating all over again the all-too-frequent cuteness of the "-le" suffix in English!

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    30 April 2024, 2:54 am
  • 53 minutes 14 seconds
    Episode 131: Rudimentary Rival

    In this episode, Amy gets back to basics with "rudimentary", while Ryan swimming upstream, but along a bank, and always staring side-eyed across to his "rival".

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    27 March 2024, 3:25 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Episode 130: Object Between

    In this episode, Amy explores the space "between", while Ryan is trying to figure out a connection between an "object" and the action itself.

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks! PS - a note from Ryan: apologies to our wonderful listeners this episode - I'd been battling a wicked cough and general illness for several weeks and was only just getting over it to the point where I could make it through an episode, but I was pretty much constantly struggling to tamp down coughing fits every few minutes, hence my quite short segment and also my probably very annoying-to-listen-to somewhat pause-ridden speech pattern. I'm getting better, though, so that's good!
    17 February 2024, 5:03 am
  • 49 minutes 46 seconds
    Episode 129: Fine Film

    In this episode, Amy keeps a thin lid on things with "film", while Ryan is trying to figure out why there are so many different ways to be "fine".

    For the record, the book is Synonyms Discriminated and it's by the Rev. Charles John Smith. It was written, like many other books, in 1871.

    Lexitecture is a podcast about etymology (the linguistics study of the origin and history of words). In each normal, increasingly infrequent episode, a Canadian (Ryan) and a Scot (Amy) each present their current favourite word and talk about its origins, current use, and try to puzzle out how it may have gone from A to B. If you love thinking and talking about words, word origins, or just random bits of head-scratching language trivia, this may be the show for you!

    Please subscribe to us on Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts! Find us on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Reddit, or join our Word Nerd HQ Facebook group! Also, if you enjoy what we do, please give us a great rating wherever you can - it's a huge help in letting other people know we're worth listening to. Finally, to support the podcasting work we do, please consider becoming a Patreon sponsor at www.patreon.com/lexitecture Thanks!
    12 January 2024, 4:08 am
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