Play along and guess the correct chronological order of the following phrases: Great White Hope, Great White Shark and Great White Way.

And check out our other *great* episodes:

The Amazing Great: Good is no longer good enough. Everyone is awesome, superlative or great.

The G.O.A.T.: An aggrandizing acronym that was seeded in the 1960s and born decades later.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 306: "The Dating Game, Great White Edition." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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Legend has it that Samuel Maverick was a 19th-century rancher who refused to brand his cattle — but was he really such a maverick?

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 305: "The Original Maverick." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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On the possible origins of a provocative — and thoroughly caprine — phrase, featuring lexicographer Ben Zimmer.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 47: "Get One's Goat." With Bob Garfield, Mike Vuolo and Ben Zimmer. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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The aggrandizing acronym that was seeded in the 1960s and born decades later.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 304: "The G.O.A.T." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good is no longer good enough. Everyone is awesome, superlative or great.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 280: "The Amazing Great." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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A double dose of beautiful words, including the pleasant-sounding mellifluous — which happens to mean pleasant-sounding!

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 303: "The Ethereal Omelet." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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Poetry Society of America members have chosen the most beautiful word in the English language. Any guesses?

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 302: "The Most Beautiful Word." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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Guess the chronological order of these early 20th-century words: paramilitary, paranormal and (drug-related) paraphernalia.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 301: "The Dating Game, Paranormal Edition." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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In our age of AI, the word "parasocial" has gained new relevance. Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield trace its rise and discuss other "para" words like paragraph and parachute.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 300: "Parasocial Climbing." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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John McWhorter on the hidden logic of "lowkey." Plus, where did all those terms of venery come from? A flamboyance of flamingos?

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 299: "The Lowdown on Lowkey." With John McWhorter. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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Play along with our new game and guess the correct chronological order of the following phrases: perfect crime, perfect fit, perfect storm and perfect stranger.

Visit Lexicon Valley. A Booksmart Studios Production. Episode 298: "The Dating Game, Perfect Edition." With Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo. Edited and produced by Mike Vuolo. Produced by Livia Bloom Ingram. All rights reserved.

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