Recent Episodes
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Recent Reviews
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Leeta_Sum1Good when on topicWell presented and clever. But if you are not into liberal ideology you may find a number of the episodes preachy and tedious. Worth a subscription but be prepared to delete about 20% of the offerings.
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shelbs42Helen might be my favorite person everHelen is so clever and witty and funny - so informed and lovely and I could listen to her all day. And on top of it all I always learn the most interesting new things that help me see the world differently in the best way.
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mar13dFuuuunnnLight or not; fun and important. Helen is so funny!
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Sherman SanjeevSanjeevkumarHey there my friend
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Iuch!Fantastic, Delightful, EntertainingAlso, edifying, enlightening, informative, and fun!
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Ice fingerThe best!So great, especially the special word they give us at the end!
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sarahelizeAlways BrilliantHelen and The Allusionist are simply always brilliant. I listened to all the episodes and then started over again and now look forward to hearing the new ones and revisiting older ones too. Regularly mind blowing in the best way possible. šš
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La ManifestaHelen Zaltzman is a mensch!The Allusionist is simply a great podcast. I have learned so much about the use and evolution of language, and Helen always has the most interesting and enlightening guests. Sheās also ridiculously entertainingāI always look forward to her special episodes like the quizzes and Tranquillusionists, where she reads words in a calming tone of voice so you can relax. Her husband Martin Austwickās music is the delightful icing on the cake, and makes every episode richer. But fundamentally, what makes The Allusionist great is that Helen is a truly admirable human being. She regularly has episodes that explore the boundaries of inclusive language. In 2020, she struck out on her own from the Radiotopia podcast network because the networkās roster of shows was overwhelmingly white, and she decided to free up the money paid to her so it could be used to increase the diversity of voices on the network. She walks the talk. If you ever get the chance to see her live, jump at it. And if you support the podcast financially, youāll get a ton of cool material in return. Helen Zaltzman is, indeed, a mensch.
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Mr. Music HeadI absolutely love Helen and The Allusionist podcast.Thanks for years of great listening, Helen! Love the show.
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DamnMelBrain gains!This podcast has made me smarter, and more aware of the world around me. Language is always a work in progress, moving and changing with the times. Finding out what shaped it in the past and whatās redefining it now is a blast.
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SRRpodHelen Zaltzman is the best!What a joy to listen to. Surprising and interesting perspectives on so many new things.
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Gnomen.This show has really lost the plotCame to echo what others have said. It used to be a great show about words. Now its a social justice podcast. Love Helen, agree with her overall, but Iām not really in for what the show has become. Maybe branching them into two separate podcasts would be a good idea? Either way. The old episodes are great. I hope they get back to the words about words soon.
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Radio days rockedFor fans of history and wordsWell done, researched and entertaining as well.
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etherdogAudio quality is paramountI am writing this review based on the Gems and Patties episode. The audio quality is so bad that my spouse wanted to unsubscribe because of it. Helen, we have such great audio tools nowāI am trying to get your attention because otherwise your podcast is a TEN in my book.
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AsmorianLove listeningI heard this plugged on ologies and am so glad I gave it a listen. Helen is a wonderful host and I am always pleased with the insightful discussion on myriad topics.
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Titania RedKnowledge and humor!Helen and her guests make the history of language interesting and inspire listeners to go out on their own to learn more! One of my favorites!
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TeagardenRiAll time favoriteOne of the best podcasts I have ever listened to. Helen is just hilarious.
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Celi_yuckLovelyI appreciate the production! The music is great. Helenās calm voice is at the perfect distance and the content lulls my brain into a pleasant interested learning state. I also am down for the swears
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šøāØšPearlšāØšønerdy nicheI really listening to this pod! Itās funky, itās cool! Honestly, I vibe with the fun song about Uranus( traditionally Uranous) and wish more people would listen to it! Keep in mind that politics and culture is woven into linguistics, and we donāt control what she puts out!āØāØ
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Olive;CatSplendidly engagingLove this pod so much. :)
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Marty McGuyGone off topicThis used to be a show about words and linguistics. I donāt even disagree with Helenās take on more recent subjects; itās just that I get enough of that elsewhere and thereās only so much I can take. This show used to be interesting and lighthearted. As a fat dude, two entire episodes dedicated to complaining about how fat people are treated is just 1.8 episodes too many for me. What was once an entertaining diversion while gardening is now just an extra side of depression with my tomatoes.
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GeorgiaMAbsolute gemCannot get enough episodesā¦love the in-depth look at language and the beautiful context Helen weaves in. Episode 178 Uranus made me literally LOL while walking down the street and I think I was actually saying it out loud too!
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vinyldashWhat happened?Iām a total nerd for language & linguistics & history so when I first found this podcast I was in love! I wouldāve given it 5 stars, easy. Lately though it really seems to have shifted its focus to more timely issues, some political. Like a lot of the other reviewers who have mentioned this shift, Iām definitely progressive/left leaning, and I seek out political/ social justice/news pods when thatās what I want. Here it just feelsā¦.preachy? And definitely out of place in a language pod. Another thing Iāve noticed of late is that some of the episodes are a bitā¦weird? Just listened to the phone call bit on the Uranus ep & had to turn it off as it went on so long & ultimately annoyed me so much I couldnāt stand it anymore. And what on earth is this Tranquilusionist stuff??? Huh? I donāt get it, is this some kind of ASMR for folks who like that? Seems like itās time for our lovely Helen to reassess her intentions for the pod, maybe put out something thatās a bit less scattered in its content.
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simpy catNaming of Uranus...ā¦. best episode in quite a while, a great example of Helenās dry, wry wit
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YendoggyThey just canāt help themselves! Crap!Used to love this pod! But I clicked on multiple episodes and yup! It seems to have gone super political. (WAY to the left not that it mattersā¦ either way would have been annoying) I AM very much a liberal.. but I dont need to hear leftist political talking points on a podcast about words, vocabulary, language, etcā¦ Itās like these people get popular doing something neutral and non political and then canāt help themselves when they have a platform and they start spewing their politics. (See Radio Lab and others) So disappointing.. I erased it off my feed now.
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mspassell45689908645 stars!!!Iām always excited to hear what surprising, clever, funny and human language adventure Helen has in store for us.
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JennisokExcellent and educationalThe Allusionist was one of the first linguistics podcasts I ever listened to and it has led me down a rabbit hole of many others. Iāve learned so much. Really enjoyable.
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EKH0577Not as interesting as it was previouslyI used to absolutely love this show. Helenās wit and erudition made it a must-listen, and I dutifully delved through the whole history when I discovered the podcast in 2020. Lately though, I find that we seem to have veered away from a focus on fun and interesting linguistic stuff. The current direction, which seems heavily geared toward issues of marginalization and social justice/awareness has rendered the show a bit dreary and tedious. Donāt get me wrong, Iām all for important and salient discussions - I just prefer pursuing them away from what used to be a rollicking good-time of a podcast. Now it feels a bit like taking my medicine. Quel dommage.
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cagey_01Taking a moment during the ads to sayā¦This pod is terrific so far. Just finished The Box and now listening to Actively Passive - I imagine after Iām finished with this ep, Iāll dive into another one. Smart and thoughtful.
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LudditetheSlowBrilliantCompletely, totally brilliant!
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JrockayFunny, GeniusLove Helenās style since AMT. Always interesting, different.
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NikoGreenwoodExcellent, including the use of all of the language, respectfullyI felt compelled to say after Helen Z mentioned at the start of the episode that someone rated that there were too many swears for their taste. I can respect that opinion while also being of the opinion that while there is some swearing in this show, none of it is gratuitous, and it is all appropriate use of the entire language. The fact that there arenāt airs put on to āclean upā the language is part of why I like this show so much. Itās a podcast about etymology and itās NOT stuffy and overly snobby. It brings the fascination with words out of the proper classroom treatments and into the everyday living with language. So, to any of you out there who may have read the other review - yes thereās swears, but theyāre infrequent and not even particularly rude uses of the no-no words, and she generally gives a heads up at the top of the episode about language and likely triggers. And to you Helen, thank you for being relaxed enough with us, your audience, to not feel the need to āclean upā before you show us around. Really.
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eikt12333Canāt get enough!I have just finished listening to 161 episode of The Allusionist. I donāt remember how I was first made aware of Helen Zaltzman and her etymological work on her podcast The Allusionist. It was probably from one of her many guest spots on Buffering the Vampire Slayer, Ologies, or Science Diction. But I do remember when I started listening to The Allusionist. It was this summer when I began a 45 minute to 1 hour and 30 minute train and walking commute. Since then, The Allusionist has also been my campaign for laundry folding, dish washing, and cross country road trips. I am excited to continue to get a biweekly dose of etymology, history, and philosophy now that Iāve caught up. TL;DR: Itās a great show and Iām hooked!
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PodFan032021If you love language, youāll love this podcast!Helen brings such a thoughtful, well-informed perspective to important, interesting, and fun language topics. Have a listen!
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Helen from DallasGreat Podcast, bit much swearingA really excellent showāboth interesting and witty. Love the intro and all the order little stuff Helen does like the opening language metaphor or the Randomly Selected Word From the Dictionary, but the frequency of swearing in the feed means considerably less episodes for us tender-eared listeners to enjoy.
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BradleyGCIf you love language youāll love The AllusionistA podcast that dives deep into language coupled with Helen Zaltzmanās delightfully dry wit is a no-brainer. Do yourself a favor and start listening now if youāre not already.
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BonnieKarpaySo enjoyable!Helen is an absolute joy to listen to. I love her passion for language and for humanity, which she seems to hold in equal parts.
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stforemanGoatI canāt believe it but weāve done it. Weāve found the best podcast.
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Gary WallenEnglish-speakers all need to listenTeachers of the language should pay attention to be reminded how vital intelligent, engaging communication is to instill a lifelong love of the subject. Far too few instructors are as engaging and able to hold interest by using insightful, often humorous, related tidbits that provide clarity and depth of understanding to the subject discussed. Each episode is fun and fast moving. I have no doubt anyone -from Jonathan Winters to George Carlin, Groucho Marx, and Steve Allen would have been huge fans of Helen Zaltsman if only they could have heard this podcast. I recommend it more than any other of the ones I know.
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Mlle. MeRefreshingClever, interesting and intelligent! My new favourite podcast!!
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Daniel Jacob PearsonWonderfulHelenās adventures in language are joy.
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Bor GeilingReally the best kind of pod-castIāve been a huge fan of this podcast for quite a while. And just discovered Helen Zās older podcast āAnswer me thisā. She is brilliant in each. I learn a ton from these - not anything that I needed to know - but things that Iām better for knowing. They are also endlessly entertaining and hilarious. Thank you Helen!
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HailroboniaIncredibly thought provokingThe topics of the Allusionist run the gamut from ludicrous and hilarious (old timey slang) to serous and important (oppression and discrimination) and I am always blown away by the thoughtful discussions and amazing guests, not to mention Helen Zaltzmanās brilliant wit.
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The real RichieA continuous comfort and joyThis was one of my first podcasts to really listen to and as such I think how much Iāve grown with it. Always informative and fun.
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ę³°ä¹¦åbrilliantmy only complaints are that they are following the trend toward politically correct over sensitivity and that there arenāt enough episodes. otherwise the show is absolutely fantastic šš»šš»šš»
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AmbiverbalSimultaneously calming & thought provokingIt's a joy to welcome Helen's 3-dimensional personality into my ears. I enjoyed her wit on "Answer Me This", but in "The Allusionist" she has liberated her curiosity, deep concern for justice, and love of language from the former podcast's competitive snark. I eagerly look forward to each episode.
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Daniel123456789Fascinating and informativeI love The Allusionist podcast. It is always interesting and illuminating about whatever subject the episode covers; whether itās about bugs, gendered language, languages themselves, number words, or how donuts got to have ārudeā names in South America, the show is always interesting and I always learn something when I listen. I canāt recommend it highly enough. Itās also very validating to have topics related to gender and sexuality covered so gracefully and with such care. Youāve got to subscribe!
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joannmrgichLifelong LearnerI learn so much about language from this podcast. Itās somehow obvious, yet still surprising how much language and the words we choose to use reveal about us. Never is that more evident than in the negative reviews for this podcast. Itās truly astonishing how simply learning about A WORD, seems to upset some folksā whole belief system. But I guess it has to be a pretty fragile system to be shaken by so littleā¦
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Avg Joe BakerJust love itFascinating material, excellent writing, and Helen Zaltzman's amazing speaking voice come together to make a show that I listen to day of every time it comes out. If you've ever learned the origin of a word and gone "huh" then you'll love this podcast
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Travlr68Whatās not to like?If you love humans, humor, stories, or specialized knowledge shared with enthusiasm, you will love this podcast.
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