John McWhorter

I am the very model of a modern Broadway patter song

The rapid-fire, tongue-twisting “patter song” is a staple of musical theater. Linguist John McWhorter explores the patter song’s history, while “Tootsie” composer David Yazbek gives a masterclass on writing one.

I am the very model of a modern Broadway patter song
The Elements of Style

Why 'The Elements of Style' is out of style

Why 'The Elements of Style' is out of style

What's the point of learning Russian?

What's the point of learning Russian?
Pregnant clockwise in Chinese, Georgian, Portuguese, Thai, Afrikaans,  Albanian, Hebrew, Spanish, Russian.

Do the words we use to describe pregnancy reveal our feelings toward it?

Do the words we use to describe pregnancy reveal our feelings toward it?

New research suggests language structure may play factor in personal saving

New research suggests language structure may play factor in personal saving
The World

Does the Language You Speak Determine How Much Money You Save?

A controversial new study out of Yale concludes that people who speak languages without future verb tenses like Chinese are better at preparing for the future than people who use a future tense like in English, French, and Spanish for example.

Does the Language You Speak Determine How Much Money You Save?

Are Blue Collar Jobs the Answer to the Shrinking Black Middle Class?

The public sector is the leading employer for African-American men, and the second-largest employer for African-American women – which means public sector lay-offs have disproportionately affected the black middle class. What is the solution?

Are Blue Collar Jobs the Answer to the Shrinking Black Middle Class?
The World

Should we use !@#$ curse words more?

These days, we're hearing profanity from the mouth of an 11-year-old girl in a box office hit and from the Vice President of the United States. Is cursing becoming more acceptable? Would it be less offensive if we all cussed more?

Should we use !@#$ curse words more?
The World

Sounding Black

Sounding Black
The World

Rebooting the NAACP for the 21st Century

The NAACP has wrapped up its Centennial Convention, and The Takeaway is joined by John McWhorter, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, to look at the relevance of the 100-year old institution and the challenges it faces in the 21st century.

Rebooting the NAACP for the 21st Century

Gracie Award-winner 'Sounding Black'

Playwright and performer Sarah Jones talks about what it means to "sound black" today, and how Barack Obama has used "blaccent."

Gracie Award-winner 'Sounding Black'
The World

The Nuclear Plowshare

The Nuclear Plowshare
The World

Soviet Nuclear Contamination Confirmed

Soviet Nuclear Contamination Confirmed