The Allusionist

Leslie Scott, game designer and founder of Oxford Games, inventor of Jenga and many word games. She talks about what makes word games fun: bluffing, mischief and pace. They explore tempo in games like Boggle and Scrabble, how naming and trademarks shape a game’s identity, and why a catchy, protectable name matters.

Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore and storyteller of folklore and scary histories, traces the origins of 'step-' from mourning to modern family labels. He explores how remarriage and childcare pressures spawned the wicked stepmother trope. The conversation digs into historical risks for stepchildren and playful attempts to rename awkward steprelationships.

Jane Gregory, a clinical psychologist expert in cognitive behavioural therapy, explains how words can gain power over us. She explores why logic often fails, and introduces cognitive diffusion and visual tricks to strip meaning from intrusive thoughts. Short techniques like repetition, reframing and naming emotions are discussed to weaken distressing language.

A playful dive into whether emoji can carry grammar and order, and how users create face-first syntax and state through sequences. A historian traces parallels to ancient pictographs and medieval marginalia. Builders of an emoji-only messenger reveal practical limits, cross-platform misreads, and how emoji form social dialects rather than replace language.

Craig Schoonmaker, activist who coined and term 'Gay Pride' for the 1970 Christopher Street events. He recounts why he swapped 'Gay Power' for 'Gay Pride' to promote self-acceptance. He remembers police harassment around Stonewall, the orderly first march with chants of pride, and how the word and celebrations spread worldwide and shifted from protest to parade.

Dan Pashman, food podcaster and author known for The Sporkful, joins to untangle what makes brunch brunch. They debate whether brunch is about timing or menu, trace its rise from 19th-century coinage to modern buffets, and play with food naming and branding. Expect playful linguistic sleuthing and a few culinary inventions.

A lively etymology tour of election vocabulary. Words like ballot and poll get traced to balls and hair. Party and campaign reveal unexpected social and military roots. Debate and argue are shown to come from words for fighting and brightness. Even Tories and lobbying have surprising origins.

I know this is a show about words, but forget the words for a moment; look at the spaces between the words. Without the spaces, the words would be nigh incomprehensible. Dr Kate Wiles explains the history of the space. Visit theallusionist.org/spaces to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.com/allusionistshow.Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionistSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John Feetenby, a professional crossword compiler for a major British newspaper, breaks down how cryptic and general-knowledge puzzles are built. He explains why cryptics frustrate and delight. Hear how setters start with grids, craft fair clues using devices like anagrams, and adapt to Google and databases. Tips for novices and the joy of a clever clue round out the conversation.

Ellie Williams, a researcher doing a doctorate on fake words in reference works, explores fictitious dictionary entries known as mountweazels. She recounts famous hoaxes, explains why lexicographers plant copyright traps, and traces how bogus entries spread and sometimes become accepted. The conversation highlights playful and human sides of reference-making.