Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Episode: Fighting Artichokes
Description: Whatâs in a mascot name? Maybe youâre a fan of the Banana Slugs, or you cheer for the Winged Beavers. Perhaps your loyalty lies with the Fighting Artichokes. There are some strange names for sports team out there. But whatâs even stranger is the origin of the word mascot itself. Itâs from a 19th-century opera! And: the host of a television show about gardening is tired of using the verb âto plant,â and is desperate for an alternative. But coming up with one is harder than you might think! Plus, a word for that sinking feeling when y...