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

January 29, 2026 30 mins
Maggie and Emily learn the Ancient Greek word "ekgona" from psychologist Chet Sunde and put the word "legacy" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: ekgona.
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Maggie and Emily explore the Hebrew word tohu wa-bohu with retired Yeshiva principal Seth Taylor and philospher Peter Rollins. Poem by Maggie: Tohu wa-bohu.
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January 15, 2026 29 mins
Maggie and Emily discuss the Portuguese word saudade with Lucas Gomes and Peter Rollins. Poem by Emily: Saudade.
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Maggie and Emily learn the Puerto Rican Spanish words gufear and chinchorrear and speak to Nerys Miller-Baynham about the fictional Welsh saint, Saint Toiletai. Poem by Maggie: One Day.
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Maggie and Emily learn the German word umvelt from philosopher/Biblical scholar Jared Byas. Poem by Emily: The Umvelt of the Human Animal.
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Maggie and Emily learn the Portuguese word muvuca from Kika Mousse and put the term "safe space" on trial with judge Matthew Laura Aitken. Poem by Maggie: Muvuca.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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