The Word's Worth

40 Episodes
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By: The Moscow Times

Get to know Russia from the inside out, with podcasts on Russian language, culture and the latest news.

Plug It, Mute It, or Hear It
#245
08/11/2023

The words for things that shut out sound and let you hear it are the same in Russian. Of course they are.


Alexei Navalny and the Secret List of Forbidden Words
#244
08/04/2023

It's hard to know where general language ends and criminal slangs begins.


And Yet It's Nevertheless, All the Same, After All
#243
07/28/2023

The joy of particles (not).


A Guide to Giving a Bribe in Russian
#242
07/21/2023

What you say when you bribe depends on whether you want something or they want something.


Who is Gulya and Why Do We Care About Her Nose?
#241
07/14/2023

The preposition "c" has some weird constructions.


Spitting, Eating Your Teeth and Other Weird Gestures
#240
07/07/2023

When a person eats his teeth, is that bad or good? Or even possible?


Take Your Pick: Mutiny, Coup, Uprising or Nothing
#239
06/30/2023

What happened last week is a changing story that depends on speaker, day, mood and the subjunctive.


Wait - What Russian Month is This?
#238
06/23/2023

If you thought you knew the names of the months in Russian, think again.


What's in a Name? With Russian Holidays - Everything
#237
06/16/2023

This week Russia celebrated Russia Day. If you have no idea what that holiday is, join the gang.


A Gathering of Witches, Dues, Herbs and Classmates
#236
06/09/2023

Сбор and сборы are unusual words: sometimes the singular and plural forms have unrelated meanings.


Buy a Brilliant and Applaud an Artist
#235
06/02/2023

Oh, those false friends... every translator's nightmare.


Tricks of the Trade
#234
05/12/2023

Using the right verb and the right case to express changing and exchanging is a big headache.


Under the Mighty Oak I Sit, Stupidly
#233
05/05/2023

Sitting on stumps, falling out of trees and stepping in rotten logs figure prominently in Russian expressions.


The Cat Cried and Ran By
#232
04/28/2023

Cats are popular pets In Russia but unpopular in folk expressions.


Serving and Not Serving in the Military
#231
04/21/2023

The confusing terminology of conscripts, reservists and draft dodgers.


Two Words, Three Letters and Ten Meanings
#230
04/14/2023

Oh, the joy of little Russian words.


How a Saint Becomes a Sinner
#229
04/07/2023

How some Russian words change meaning in and out of church.


Of Courtyards, Grifters and Days Off
#228
03/31/2023

All about things and people that pass by, pass through, and ought to pass off forever.


Shame That is Cringeworthy
#227
03/24/2023

Understanding teenagers is a struggle that makes you cringe.


Of Ear Noodles and Maniacal Printers
#226
03/17/2023

How you can spend a day translating three words.


Please Don't Hit on Me, Bug Me, or Harass Me
#225
03/10/2023

How everyone from gangsters to presidents keep people calm and in their place.


A Pocketful of Somethings
#224
03/03/2023

How can I say something? Let me count the ways.


A Year of the Language of War
#223
02/24/2023

A new set of language norms have taken hold in Russia.


The Ears Have It
#222
02/17/2023

Russian ears are more athletic than English ears.


Travels, Trips and Tours
#221
02/10/2023

Trips with goals, aimless travels, and all-inclusive tourist packages.


Starting Anew or Again or Freshly Baked
#220
02/03/2023

A few thoughts on new being old or next or just the same old thing over and over again.


Mark My Words: How to Remember and Forget
#219
12/26/2022

How to remember and how to forget are good skills to have whatever your language.


Mark My Words: How to Remember and Forget [old]
#218
12/23/2022

How to remember and how to forget are good skills to have whatever your language.


The Hopeless Quest for Language Purity
#217
12/16/2022

Russian legislators keep making laws to keep Russian pure. It's not working.


Words of the Year 2022
#216
12/09/2022

The annual Words of the Year compendium is dark, bleak and brutal.


Angry? Join the Zoo
#215
12/02/2022

Fierce, furious and furry - that's you when you're mad.


Get Russian-Ready for Seasons Greetings
#214
11/25/2022

Take two little words - хлеб (bread) and соль (salt) - put them together and get something grand.


Russian Pandemonium Pop Quiz
#213
11/18/2022

How do you say chaos in Russian? Let me count the ways.


The New Russian Revolutionary Language
#212
11/11/2022

NewSpeak, new letters and a new level of crude language used by the Russian elite.


To Err is Human in Every Language
#211
10/20/2022

The fine art of admitting your mistakes in Russian.


Why is There a Dog in Your Email?
#210
10/18/2022

From the annals of punctuation and typographical history.


Гойда! They Shouted. Say What?
#209
10/07/2022

What were they shouting on Red Square and should we worry?


Newspeak for the Russian New Economic Policy
#208
10/01/2022

Happy talk in Russian media sources. "Negative growth" and lots of "stability."


Newspeak in the New Russia
#207
09/16/2022

What they say and what they mean are two very different things.


Good King... Who?
#206
09/09/2022

Why did King Charles III get a different name in Russian?