Room Escape Artist

“ Linguists play with words like Legos”

For centuries, language was one of the great barriers to travelling, to sharing cultures and to humans understanding one another. Even though online tools have now made translations and language barriers more accessible, sometimes even our own language can feel foreign. This is where linguists enter the picture. They explore the role of language and how people use it to communicate.

Guest Gretchen McCulloch is a linguist and she co-hosts Lingthusiasm, a podcast discussing all the hidden linguistic patterns you didn’t realize you were already doing. Gretchen literally wrote the book on how the internet is changing the english language – Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language. I especially enjoyed hearing about why “um’s & uh’s” drive us crazy in a podcast, but we don’t seem to notice them in live conversations.

Today’s topic is passports! David talks about the function of passports, what all the different colors mean, and historical usage. Our game today is called A Passion for Ports, where each answer will contain the letters “pass” or “port.”

Time Stamps

• 00:59 Game: A Passion for Ports
• 15:52 About: Linguistics and Lingthusiasm
• 26:05 Topic: Passports
• 37:40 Credits

Guest: Gretchen McCulloch

Bluesky: @gretchenmcculloch.com, @lingthusiasm.com
Instagram: @gretchen.mcculloch, @lingthusiasm

Websites: gretchenmcculloch.com, lingthusiasm.com

Gretchen McCulloch is an internet linguist and author of the New York Times bestselling Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language. She’s been the Resident Linguist at Wired and The Toast and is the co-creator of Lingthusiasm, a podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics. She lives in Montreal, but also on the internet.

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

Production Credits

• Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira
• Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law
• Produced by Theresa Piazza
• Supported by Lisa Spira
• Edited by Peih-Gee Law
• Music by Matt Farthing
• Logo by Theresa Wagner

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