Brilliantly enjoyable.

Excellent, informative podcast, and McWhorter is great... only thing is that he appears to be losing interest in this, as the time between pods has steadily increased over the last year or so..

John McW is the king of ling! He is the Rex of the Lex! You need to getmo of the etmyo with the GOAT, yo! Of linguistics podcasts!

Much better than swords, swords, swords, no? As I read on a street sign a couple of decades ago: Put the gun down. Articulate.

John McWorter is one of those rare professors who is a world expert in his field, knows how to combine wit with specialist knowledge, and has a pleasant voice to listen to. I recommend this podcast to anyone with even a vague interest in language(s).

I have loved John McWhorter’s books and am sad that I have only JUST learned about this podcast…but I relish being able to go back through its archives! Prof. McWhorter makes his subject such a joy to learn about, and his broad breadth of knowledge about so MANY languages gives the listener such a wide base to learn from. Thank you, Professor! Your podcast is a joyful speck in my day. Update: every episode I’ve listened to so far is great and makes me laugh.

Love your voice, John!

He’s changed me from a petty prescriptivist to someone who appreciates a changing landscape. Not only is his pretty much the only calm voice of reason on what we(‘re allowed to) say and why, but his delivery is effectively calming. I listen to this when I need meditation and want validation. We’re with you, John!

Regarding the Past Master episode, my grandmother ( of white German heritage ) did the same thing with birthday cards for me addressing them to Master Kevin that John mentioned. Crazy how some woke word police think they are doing something useful.

Articulate, precise, easy on the ears.

As long as he stays off politics, I could listen to McWhorter all day. Thoughtful, interesting, articulate and musical.

Q

Most academic podcast’s leave you with a very bad taste in your mouth in regards to their political leanings, but in the case of this podcast I have no clue as to the host’s leanings. It is so nice to just learn without being bombarded by the host’s biases. I wish more academics would teach this way.

Started listening day one with Garfield and Vuolo on Slate. I listen to too many podcasts, but I’ve got complete coverage on very few. Too many people producing too much “content” for me to keep up, but I’ve never missed a Lexicon Valley. That’s as good an endorsement as I can give.

…from reading his column and his many books that are challenging and provocative, especially to us progressives. For myself, what is wildly entertaining about Prof. McWhorter is his amazing and eclectic taste in music, which he shares generously with his audience. I learn as much about historical film and theater music as I do about language. My favorite podcast.

Disagree with him as much as I do, J McW is a genius and this podcast is a dose of enlightenment. The most respectable descriptivist I have heard.

His politics are shallow and deeply silly, but as long as he sticks to his *actual* expertise of linguistics, this show is great.

An excellent podcast, always very interesting.

I think I started on a trippy episode! 😂 I started on the history of the letter C. Very fascinating and makes sense. I studied history and Spanish in college so a lot of this tracks, but good lord! Had no idea how crazy it was! Regardless, crazy or simple, extremely fascinating and totally worth a listen for anyone who likes linguistics or just wonders why English is such a screwy language. Love it!

Love it!

We admire your bravery. You are excellent. All the best people are cancelled now.

I love this podcast; it is a perfect combination fun and educational, and John McWhorter is always entertaining as well as enlightening. Off topic, I just read that NYC Mayor Adams is mandating phonics programs for kids in public schools. It sounds like moms really pushed for this change and deserve some credit, but maybe, just maybe, John’s advocacy for teaching phonics helped in some way. Congrats from Montana!

Come on

John McWhorter is pensive, yet light and cheerful. Incredibly tuned in to know how to deliver material that is controversial. He is polite, funny, insightful, and of course wildly brilliant. Just simply the perfect host! His engaging topics (which are thankfully more current events orientated) have challenged my views in many meaningful ways. Huge thumbs up!

John McWhorter has a way of breaking down complex topics to simplify them for consumption by all. I love reading his columns so listening to him further explain and teach is even more fantastic. A wonderful podcast all-around!

Each episode is a learning gem. So many things that I have never noticed. It’s always fun

I just can’t get enough of this show. Thank you so much for making it.

Sending a signal to the marketplace: I would much rather listen to John McWhorter read ten minutes of ads in a 40 min podcast than deal with the paywall situation that seems to have descended over this wonderful podcast of late- not because this show or Booksmart Productions don’t deserve it, but because I follow at least a dozen podcasts (not a brag) and if I were to patreon each one I would be out anywhere from $50-$500 each week. This is less of a review I guess than a cheap ask from an admiring schnorrer. If you are new to the podcast, enjoy!!

Excellent podcast, I learn something new with each episode. Bonus to the music selections played in each show, good stuff.

Was listening to this when he was on Slate and was wondering what happened to the podcast—so glad it’s back on here!

Classic lexicon valley gold

First, I’ve listened to every Lexicon Valley episode since Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield were doing them. John McWhorter took it to a deeper valley, and I loved every episode (frankness: I also love his musical selections, but his “language voices” sometimes mask the words. I have no idea what he is saying when he does the “Old English” voice. This is small potatoes). Second, I’ve had a hard time with his political positions. I’ve paid attention to what he has said and talked with friends about them. (A small point: I found his use of the word “elected” counterproductive - I know he wants to coin the term for impact, but if you don’t know that, it sounds like Q speech.) Nonetheless, I’ve learned to appreciate his point of view. I don’t agree with much of it, but that's the point of dialectics. And, I’ve uncovered some blind spots in doing so. Thank you, John.

My mom grew up in Yeadon, PA so the Philly accent is, to me too, like a warm blueberry muffin. My aunts still say “alt” for out and “alch” for ouch.

Lexicon valley and John McWhorter find great easy to follow routes into understanding our past, present and future and how it relates to the way we and other humans use sounds to communicate. I have learned so much and continue to find out relevant facts that make me appreciate my humanity and relate to speaking and listening to students in my job as an educator.

McWhorter is the best--every episode is brimming with intresting lessons and insights. Constantly refreshing my feed waiting for the next episode to drop.

I am a huge podcast fan from Maron to Joey Diaz to Nicole Byer to Andy Kindler. My current fave is not hosted by a comic, but rather a linguist. John McWhorter’s Lexicon Valley is intellectually stimulating and very funny every time. Thanks John. Keep the show tunes playing!

Mr. McWhorter is like a quirky old friend at this point, after all these years of the old Lexicon Valley, and all his appearances on other podcasts. His idiosyncratic approach makes this podcast feel laid back and friendly, even when the subject matter turns toward topics that may be “triggering” for some folks. He seems like someone I’d enjoy having a beer with, even when his opinion is not my own (although, honestly, it usually is). A reasonable man.

I’ve been enjoying Lexicon Valley for a longtime. I’m still catching up on the old episodes. This new version is an interesting reboot, but it feels more like a spin-off. I like it.

John McWhorter is interesting, suprising, super smart, personable, quirky and amusing. I liked his Slate podcast and I am looking forward to hearing how it develops on this new platform. I will never buy Booksmart plus but I did try peach jello and I did update the horrible iTunes software just to rate and review.

Perfect podcast to listen to on my work commutes that’s equally entertaining and informative.

This is the kind of quirky, fun, interesting, and expertly put together podcast that I very much look forward to every 15 days. Since the days of Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo, this podcast has just gotten better and better. Welcome to the new platform!

I’ll follow you anywhere!

Yay! The best show with my favorite showtune loving linguist.

Oh Lordy, prof! Welcome back!!

Brilliant and entertaining insights into linguistics and the interplay of language and life.

Very interesting program. (I’m familiar with John M. because of his discussions with Glenn Loury on Bloggingheads TV.) Hearing John discuss issues in his field of expertise was great. Learned a great deal of information about the language I speak every day, but never took the time to think about. Looking forward to the next program.

Note: this evaluation is based on the old Slate show, not the brand new Booksmart version. I’ve long been a fan of John McWhorter, so when I found out he had a podcast, I was super excited to check it out. It did not disappoint, for he covers a broad array of language-related topics. His personality shines through- I for one do not mind the Broadway interludes, having a mother who was engrossed with Broadway herself. Whether the topic is about Austronesian languages, the origin of the word “bozo,” or why English is so weird, this is an engrossing listen. Terrific podcast, and I am very much looking forward to hearing the Booksmart offering.

I’m so glad this show still exists! It’s been a highlight of my podcast feed, and it has actuallyHelp me navigate this difficult world of language that I existed. Thank you to John McWhorter and the producers of the show. It really is excellent.

I’m waiting on pins and needles with bells on in anticipation of the new podcast. It's actually getting quite uncomfortable, but on the positive side, the bells double as ankle weights, so my leg game is on point.

This podcast is a really sweet and interesting listen. Love listening to McWhorter on language.