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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Maggie and Emiy learn the Dutch word zingeving from astrophysicist Margot Brouwer. Poem by Maggie: Zingeving.
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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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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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Maggie and Emily learn the Dutch words uitwaaien and voorpret from Jozua Ros and explore the Cajun lagniappe with Brenda Pontiff. Poem by Emily: Uitwaaien.
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July 24, 2025 31 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Swedish word fika from Tomas Walch and explore the word petrichor with Susan Sechrist. Poem by Maggie: fika
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July 17, 2025 33 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Swedish word vemod from Tomas Walch, coin the word "crookie," and put the word "manifestation" on trial with Judge Matthew Laura Aitkin. Poem by Emily: Vemod
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Maggie and Emily learn the Irish word plámás from Leonie McDonagh and coin the term "folly space" with Susan Sechrist. Poem by Maggie: plámás.
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Maggie and Emily learn the word slán abhaile from Hiberno-English speaker Jimmy Doyle. Pop quiiz with Eric Giancoli. Poem by Emily: Slán abhaile.
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June 26, 2025 32 mins
Maggie and Emily are back for season two with new episodes. They discuss meeting for the first time in Belfast in the flesh and learn the Irish word craic from Leonie McDonagh. Poem by Maggie: Craic.
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Rerun of Episode 10 Ancient Greek Anchors plus word in action "scarpetta" with Susan Levinson.
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Rerun of episode 9 Hawaiian Harmony plus a poem for the wildflower downingia by Norm Milstein.
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Rerun of episode eight Yiddish Yums plus poetry from Philipp de Vries.
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Rerun of episode 7 Spanish Specials plus poetry by Swedish poet Tomas Walch.
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