No one would be surprised to learn that we at Merriam-Webster are a little language obsessed.
When your job is to monitor the developments in the English lexicon,
you become keenly aware of the language's shifts and strains, both current and historical.
Turns out, English is a fascinating creature.
This podcast is a way for us to share with you some of the weird and delightful things we've learned about it in the course of our work.
Join us each episode for a peek into the lexicographer's view of the language.
This is what I'm kind of curious about.
What is the difference between dinner and supper?
Millions of people who use this word regularly and they use it with a specific meaning.
Coming up on Word Matters when dinner became supper and an infamous pet peeve.
I'm Emily Brewster and Word Matters is a new podcast from Merriam-Webster.
produced in collaboration with New England Public Media.
On each episode, Merriam-Webster editors Neil Servin, Amon Shea, Peter Sokolowski,
and I explore some aspect of the English language from the dictionary's vantage point.
Even words we use regularly, words for essential daily events like meals, are subject to change.
Just how the English language's final meal of the day came to have two distinct names is a study in just such a shift.
Here's editor Neil Servin with the story behind Dinner and Supper.
I'm wondering what word did you guys use to refer to last meal of the day?
Growing up.
Growing up.