Back to Show
Otherwords
How Language Nerds Solve Crimes
Season 4
Episode 1
The fact that we all have our own unique way of speaking is a beautiful thing. It's at the core of personal expression and contributes to the wonderful tapestry of language. But it also means that no form of expression can be 100% anonymous. Linguists use language everyday to solve crimes. As the famous Miranda warning goes: "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

7:00
English has more words than most other languages, but there are still gaps.

7:24
Why is gossip an integral part of human social structure?

5:56
Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!

7:50
The English spelling system is a MESS... arguably more than any other language.

6:19
Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE but they're older than you think.

6:08
There's evidence that sweating may be good for your psyche.

7:11
The word "Death" has a lot of euphemisms in virtually every language.

7:21
We explore some of the popular words authors have created that are now in our lexicon.

11:23
Here are the deep misconceptions about African-American English (AAE).

11:26
Is it really "language," or just a digital illusion?

6:59
We'll have to figure out what the word "word" really means...

8:00
What can we learn about our relationship to monsters?