Fifty Words For Snow

Fifty Words For Snow

A linguistic expedition into brave new words. Maggie Rowe and Emily John Garcés hunt for words that lack an English equivalent. They like to think of themselves as Dora the Explorers of language, with their rucksacks and hats and notebooks and magnifying glasses, embarking on a cultural adventure, hunting and gathering useful new word specimens from far flung continents, and holding them up to see what new light they shine on old ideas.

Episodes

Ep 56 French Flair part 2 - Spleen and Yaourter

December 18, 2025 • 29 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the French words spleen and yaourter from Luc Lewitanski and the AI term hopium from C. Brian Smith. Poem by Emily: Spleen.
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Ep 55 French Flair: retrouvailles and l'esprit d'escalier

December 11, 2025 • 30 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the French words rretrouvailles and l'esprit d'escalier from Parisian English and French teacher Luc Lewitanski. Then they put the word "banter" on trial. Poem by Maggie: L'esprit d'escalier.
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Ep 54 Portuguese Power: Cafofo and Cafuné

December 4, 2025 • 33 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Portugese words cafofo and cafuné from Kika Mousse and put the word "self-made" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: Cafofo.
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Ep 53 The Thanksgiving Episode: Biophilia

November 26, 2025 • 29 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the word "biophilia" from Globe Aware founder Kimbery Haley-Coleman and discuss two words coined by poet Norm Milstein: hapitat and ebullhumblexuberance. Poem by Maggie: Heavier Things Than Me.
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Ep 52 The Journey of a Word: Tachles

November 20, 2025 • 28 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the word tachles (German/Hebrew/Yiddish) from retired Yeshiva principal and educator Seth Taylor and put the word “utilize” on trial with Judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Emily: Tachles.
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Ep 51 The Illusion Episode: Chimera (Chimère) and Mrugtrushna

November 13, 2025 • 32 mins
Maggie and Emily learn two words dealing with illusion, the French word chimère from Ralph Levinson and Luc Lewitanski and the Hindi word mrigtrishna from Vikas and Shashi Bandhu. Poem by Maggie: Condemned to Hope
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Ep 50 Words From the Eye: Scotoma

November 6, 2025 • 32 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the word “scotoma” from retired ophthalmologist Ralph Levinson, then put scotoma “in action” with Eric Giancoli. They coin the word chatterflop with Daniel Wiltshire. Poem by Emily: Scotoma.
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Ep 49 Words From Church part two - Reckoning

October 30, 2025 • 34 mins
Maggie and Emily discuss the word "reckoning" with pastor Cedric Lundy and put the word "forgiveness" on trial with judge Matt Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: While Washing The Dishes.
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Ep 48 Russian Reflection Part two - Toska (Тоска) and Listopad (Листопад)

October 23, 2025 • 29 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Russian words Toska (Тоска) and Listopad (Листопад) from Masha Lichtenberg. Word in action: the Hindi word jugaad with natual stone specialist Dan Wiltshire. Poem by Emily: A Cat Called Tosca
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Ep 47 Russian Reflection: Da nyet ( Да нет) and Apparatchik (Аппаратчик)

October 16, 2025 • 29 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Russian words Da nyet (Да нет) and Apparatchik (Аппаратчик) from Masha Lichtenberg and put the term "can't wait" on trial with judge Matt Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: No.
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Ep 46: Teen Slang: Words of the Young

October 9, 2025 • 30 mins
Maggie and Emily learn teen slang from Maggie's nieces, Addie and Ava, and Emily's son Ollie. Words include 6-7, gyatt, touch grass, riz, Stan, big back, Poem by Emily: Poem Number 67.
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Ep 45 Wise Words From Church: Edify

October 2, 2025 • 30 mins
Maggie and Emily discuss the word "edify" with pastor Cedric Lundy and put the word "secular" on trial with judge Eric Giancoli. Poem by Maggie: Looking For God In All The Wrong Places.
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Ep 44 Hindi Horizons part 3: Seva and Atithi

September 25, 2025 • 27 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Hindi words seva and atithi from Vikas and Shashi Bandhu. "Word in action": seva with Nerys Miller-Baynham. Poem by Emily: seva.
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Ep 43 Hindi Horizons part 2: Nazar

September 18, 2025 • 32 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Hindi word nazar from Vikas and Shashi Bandhu and put one usage of the word "just" on trial. Poem by Maggie: Nazar.
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Ep 42 Welsh Wisdom: Hiraeth

September 11, 2025 • 31 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Welsh word hiraeth from Welsh educater Stephen Rule (Dr.Cymraeg.) Poem by Emily: Hiraeth.
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Ep 41 Astrophysics Angles: Dark Matter and Parallax

September 4, 2025 • 33 mins
Maggie and Emily explore the Dutch word ietsisme and the terms “dark matter” and "parallax" with astrophysicist Margot Brouer. They discuss “scalation” with author/speaker Rob Bell. Poem by Maggie: Dark Matter.
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Ep 40 German Gems part three - Weltschmerz

August 28, 2025 • 31 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the German word weltschmerz from Philipp De Vries. Word in action: Muße with Eric Giancoli. Poem by Emily: Wild.
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Ep 39 - Dutch Delights part four - zingeving

August 21, 2025 • 30 mins
Maggie and Emiy learn the Dutch word zingeving from astrophysicist Margot Brouwer. Poem by Maggie: Zingeving.
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Ep 38 - German Gems Part 2 - Muße

August 14, 2025 • 28 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the German word muße from Philipp De Vries and explore petrichor with Susan Sechrist. Poem by Emily: Muße.
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Ep 37 Dutch Delights part three: Polderon

August 7, 2025 • 30 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Dutch word polderon and put the word "boss" on trial with judge C. Brian Smith. Poem by Maggie: Polderon.
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