 |
|
|
|
|
PROGRAMME INFO |
|
|
|
|
|
Michael Rosen presents Radio 4's open door on the world of words and the way we speak. Email: word.of.mouth@bbc.co.uk |
|
|
|
|
LISTEN AGAIN |
|
|
|
|
PRESENTER |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
"As a child, I was surrounded by people talking about words and language, my
parents and brother spoke several languages. What's more the house always
seemed to be full of people telling stories and jokes, many of which turned
on some word-play or other.
I've been writing poems and stories since I was sixteen and if that doesn't
sensitise you to how language is used then nothing will. So with all that,
to present Word of Mouth feels like being at home. I love it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROGRAMME DETAILS |
|
|
|
|
|
The Agones
With the Olympic Games underway in Athens, Oliver Taplin, Professor of Greek and Latin Literature at Oxford University explains the verbal legacy of the original, Ancient Greek Olympics. From the stadium to gymnastics to the agony and the ecstasy of the competitors, the words commentators will be using to describe the 2004 games, owe much to the language of the very first contests at Olympia.
Travel
Planning on taking a holiday somewhere a little different this year ? Word of Mouth offers an essential translation of the language of the travel guides. Tom Gleisner, co-author of a spoof guide to the imaginary Eastern European country of Molvania explains why adjectives like "unfrequented" and "worth the effort" may not tell the whole story about your intended destination.
Dead Words
It's with great sadness that Word of Mouth announces the passing of the following words and phrases - once common parlance but now, according to our listeners, a thing of the past: wireless; liberty bodice; eiderdown; boffin; gear; motoring holiday and antimacassar.
Flora Britannica
The debate about Latin vs vernacular names for plants is a fierce and familiar one. But there's another layer of names, even closer to the ground than national common favourites like cowslip and foxglove. These are the purely local names given to many of our best known wild flowers in different parts of the country. Michael tramps across Wortham Ling on the Norfolk-Suffolk border with ecologist, Richard Mabey, to learn where and why Soapwort is known as Bouncing Bet and Ragwort is called Autumn Gold.
|
|
|
|
|
