Ben Yagoda
@byagoda.bsky.social
Author "Gobsmacked!”; “About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made"; "Will Rogers: A Biography"; "How To Not Write Bad" etc.
If you’re in or near Baltimore, Monday, November 3, come on by. For tickets and info, check out @profsandpints.bsky.social
November 2, 2025 at 4:48 PM
If you’re in or near Baltimore, Monday, November 3, come on by. For tickets and info, check out @profsandpints.bsky.social
If you’re so inclined, please check out my Substack, “Mush from the Wimp.” This post is on the pronunciation of my least favorite movie genre open.substack.com/pub/benyagod...
How Do You Pronounce "Biopic"?
Does the word rhyme with "myopic" or ... "Why, oh, Nick"?
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:23 PM
If you’re so inclined, please check out my Substack, “Mush from the Wimp.” This post is on the pronunciation of my least favorite movie genre open.substack.com/pub/benyagod...
Thanks Jesse!
A thrilling and important essay about H.W. Fowler by @byagoda.bsky.social in The New Yorker:
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
The Autocrat of English Usage
Henry W. Fowler believed he knew how sentences should read—and his judgments have shaped The New Yorker’s style for a century.
www.newyorker.com
October 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Thanks Jesse!
"The Lives They're Living" has been on hiatus but we're back with a vengeance. On the new episode, the great Dave Barry talks about the also great Roy Blount Jr. Among our topics: why Roy hasn't won the Mark Twain Prize, while Adam Sandler has.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
August 13, 2025 at 8:35 PM
"The Lives They're Living" has been on hiatus but we're back with a vengeance. On the new episode, the great Dave Barry talks about the also great Roy Blount Jr. Among our topics: why Roy hasn't won the Mark Twain Prize, while Adam Sandler has.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Chuffed to be talking Not One-Off Britishisms at @profsandpints.bsky.social in Washington D.C. on Monday 7/21. Hoping you capital lot can come. @princetonupress.bsky.social www.ticketleap.events/tickets/prof...
Profs & Pints DC: How to Speak British
Profs and Pints DC presents: “How to Speak British,” a crash course on bantering, yammering, waffling and otherwise carrying on like someone across the pond, with Ben Yagoda, professor of English at t...
www.ticketleap.events
July 15, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Chuffed to be talking Not One-Off Britishisms at @profsandpints.bsky.social in Washington D.C. on Monday 7/21. Hoping you capital lot can come. @princetonupress.bsky.social www.ticketleap.events/tickets/prof...
Delighted to talk with Varda Bar-Kar about the legendary @janisian.bsky.social on “The Lives They’re Living” pod. Varda’s documentary on Janis is playing in NY and LA podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f...
Folk Icons I: Varda Bar-Kar on Janis Ian
Podcast Episode · The Lives They're Living · 04/03/2025 · 27m
podcasts.apple.com
April 3, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Delighted to talk with Varda Bar-Kar about the legendary @janisian.bsky.social on “The Lives They’re Living” pod. Varda’s documentary on Janis is playing in NY and LA podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f...
Possibly last stop on the “Gobsmacked!” tour—Zoom talk (with fun multimedia!) on Monday, March 10, 7 PM Eastern. @princetonupress.bsky.social @lynneguist.bsky.social Register here bit.ly/AnEveningWithBenYagoda
March 6, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Possibly last stop on the “Gobsmacked!” tour—Zoom talk (with fun multimedia!) on Monday, March 10, 7 PM Eastern. @princetonupress.bsky.social @lynneguist.bsky.social Register here bit.ly/AnEveningWithBenYagoda
Delighted to talk with John Barth about the public broadcasting pioneer Bill Siemering, on The Lives They’re Living. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
February 20, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Delighted to talk with John Barth about the public broadcasting pioneer Bill Siemering, on The Lives They’re Living. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
New episode of The Lives They’re Living: #BeachBoys chronicler David Leaf on the legendary Van Dyke Parks. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
David Leaf on Van Dyke Parks
Podcast Episode · The Lives They're Living · 02/12/2025 · 42m
podcasts.apple.com
February 12, 2025 at 10:29 PM
New episode of The Lives They’re Living: #BeachBoys chronicler David Leaf on the legendary Van Dyke Parks. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
When I first had the idea for The Lives They're Living podcast, one name on my shortlist was Jonathan Schwartz, legendary disc jockey, writer and raconteur. Big thanks to his daughter Casey Schwartz for agreeing to come on and so generously sharing her insights. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Casey Schwartz on Jonathan Schwartz
Podcast Episode · The Lives They're Living · 01/30/2025 · 42m
podcasts.apple.com
January 31, 2025 at 2:17 PM
When I first had the idea for The Lives They're Living podcast, one name on my shortlist was Jonathan Schwartz, legendary disc jockey, writer and raconteur. Big thanks to his daughter Casey Schwartz for agreeing to come on and so generously sharing her insights. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
“Opposite number” as a Not One-off Britishism. Plus I antedate the first OED citation by two years. notoneoffbritishisms.com/2025/01/20/o...
“Opposite number”
Back to H.L. Mencken and his The American Language. In a supplemental volume published in 1945, he writes: The English opposite number, signifying a person in corresponding office or position, e.g.…
notoneoffbritishisms.com
January 20, 2025 at 7:34 PM
“Opposite number” as a Not One-off Britishism. Plus I antedate the first OED citation by two years. notoneoffbritishisms.com/2025/01/20/o...
Jasmine Paolini is like, “Why does my shirt say ‘Where’ on it?”
January 14, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Jasmine Paolini is like, “Why does my shirt say ‘Where’ on it?”
I’m probably late to realize this, but I just noticed that Google seems to have eliminated advanced search capability. That’s a huge step back in my world, especially on Google books. Am I missing something?
January 14, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I’m probably late to realize this, but I just noticed that Google seems to have eliminated advanced search capability. That’s a huge step back in my world, especially on Google books. Am I missing something?
“Fortnight” top British linguistic import of the year—thanks to Taylor Swift.
The Separated by a Common Language UK-to-US Word of the Year 2024 is: FORTNIGHT.
With thanks to @helenzaltzman.bsky.social, @byagoda.bsky.social, Taylor Swift & Jack Antonoff
separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2024/12/uk-t...
With thanks to @helenzaltzman.bsky.social, @byagoda.bsky.social, Taylor Swift & Jack Antonoff
separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2024/12/uk-t...
UK-to-US Word of the Year 2024: fortnight
separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com
December 30, 2024 at 10:56 PM
“Fortnight” top British linguistic import of the year—thanks to Taylor Swift.
Delighted to have a chance to fanboy out with @dwightgarner.bsky.social about the great Calvin Trillin. Among other things, we discuss that great continental restaurant La Maison de la Casa House, with its specialty "Stuff-Stuff a la Heavy." podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Dwight Garner on Calvin Trillin
Podcast Episode · The Lives They're Living · 12/18/2024 · 30m
podcasts.apple.com
December 18, 2024 at 6:54 PM
Delighted to have a chance to fanboy out with @dwightgarner.bsky.social about the great Calvin Trillin. Among other things, we discuss that great continental restaurant La Maison de la Casa House, with its specialty "Stuff-Stuff a la Heavy." podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
All you really need to know about the various words of the year.
My 16th annual Words of the Year post: broligarchy, snoafer, Pretendian, and some words that *aren't* portmanteaus. #WOTY #WOTY2024 | @americandialect.org @grantbarrett.com fritinancy.substack.com/p/words-of-t...
Words of the year: Fritinancy edition
Welcome to my sixteenth annual WOTY roundup.
fritinancy.substack.com
December 17, 2024 at 3:17 PM
All you really need to know about the various words of the year.
Over the moon, as the British (and some Americans) would say about today's extremely money Wall Street Journal review by the great Anne Curzan. To wit: "In 'Gobsmacked!,' Mr. Yagoda shows readers how to delight in the lexical creativity of this ever-changing language." www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
‘Gobsmacked!’ Review: How British Words Reconquered America
Confused about whether a newly popular word has made its way from the U.K.? Join the queue.
www.wsj.com
December 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Over the moon, as the British (and some Americans) would say about today's extremely money Wall Street Journal review by the great Anne Curzan. To wit: "In 'Gobsmacked!,' Mr. Yagoda shows readers how to delight in the lexical creativity of this ever-changing language." www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
Lynne is looking for nominations!
Will I do transatlantic Words of the Year this year on Separated by a Common Language? Depends on whether any good ones are nominated!
More info about what makes a good SbaCL WotY is in my newsletter: mailchi.mp/6e7bf456bbdd...
More info about what makes a good SbaCL WotY is in my newsletter: mailchi.mp/6e7bf456bbdd...
Words of the Year, in stride
mailchi.mp
December 11, 2024 at 3:13 PM
Lynne is looking for nominations!
There’s a fairly convincing looking fake George Saunders account on here.
December 10, 2024 at 12:31 AM
There’s a fairly convincing looking fake George Saunders account on here.
Positive “anymore” in @slate.bsky.social headline!
December 6, 2024 at 2:55 PM
Positive “anymore” in @slate.bsky.social headline!
I just heard someone on the radio say “It had became known that…” and I am ready to start my day. @fritinancy.bsky.social
December 6, 2024 at 12:15 PM
I just heard someone on the radio say “It had became known that…” and I am ready to start my day. @fritinancy.bsky.social
This “wasn’t on my bingo card” thing has reached cliché status faster than a speeding bullet. Do people even know what a bingo card is?
December 5, 2024 at 2:40 PM
This “wasn’t on my bingo card” thing has reached cliché status faster than a speeding bullet. Do people even know what a bingo card is?
I believe we are at peak whataboutism.
December 4, 2024 at 2:55 PM
I believe we are at peak whataboutism.
AI gonna AI. Why and how would it invent an intermission?
December 2, 2024 at 12:41 PM
AI gonna AI. Why and how would it invent an intermission?