The Moth
The Moth
Arts
The Allusionist
by Helen Zaltzman
Today: #198 in Arts on our combined chart.
Chart positions today
If you like The Allusionist, try…
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KQED and Snap Studios
Ranking history
History builds daily. We started tracking this show on the Arts chart recently, so the trend line appears after a second day of data.
View as table
| Date | Apple Podcasts |
|---|---|
| Oct 3 | #168 |
About the show
Adventures in language with Helen Zaltzman. TheAllusionist.org
Latest episodes
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234. No Names
September 22, 2026 · 34 minAlexinomia is the aversion to saying people's names. Psychologist Thomas Ditye explains what it means to have this condition - in some cases not even saying your spouse's name during 25 years of marriage - and the research he and colleague…
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233. Phobia
September 9, 2026 · 40 min'Phobia' gets used for anything from a mild aversion to a debilitating anxiety response to various forms of bigotry. Deboki Chakravarti and Sam Jones of the podcast Tiny Matters join to consider the term from its comedic origins with one…
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232. Vega
August 25, 2026 · 33 minWhat do you call yourself if you're a part-time vegetarian? What petty linguistic things would you change? And what do you do if people gripe at you if you say that you are bi or pan? To answer these questions from the Allusionist mailbag…
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Tranquillusionist: cheesy cheesybobs
August 11, 2026 · 21 minThis is the Tranquillusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, say a series of words to relax your mind, replace a hectic interior monologue, maybe lull you to sleep, hopefully quell the mental uproar just for a little while. Today: nicknames…
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231. Lingthusionist
July 13, 2026 · 25 min“Linguistics and language is such a good mechanism for being curious,” says Lauren Gawne, linguistics prof, author of the book Gesture: A Slim Guide, and cohost of the podcast Lingthusiasm. I'm in vacation mode (although not on actual…
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230. Draculae part 4: Transformation
June 26, 2026 · 46 minThroughout the Draculae miniseries, about the Swedish and Icelandic translations of Dracula that played fast and loose with the original text, I've been wondering a couple of questions: why are cover versions of songs and remakes of films…
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229. Draculae part 3: Hunting Down the Count
June 9, 2026 · 37 minMany mysteries accompany the revelations that Powers of Darkness, the Icelandic and Swedish versions of Dracula, are not direct translations of Bram Stoker's original, but stories that significantly differ in character names, plot and…
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228. Draculae part 2: Surprises in the Vaults
May 25, 2026 · 36 minHappy World Dracula Day to all who celebrate! Visit theallusionist.org/draculae2 for more information about the topics in this episode plus a transcript. This is the second episode of the Draculae miniseries, about a literary mystery which…