In earlier episodes of Animalogy Podcast, we talked about parts of our anatomy named for their resemblance to animals, such as muscle and coccyx. In today's episode, we look at the animal-related words we have for diseases and cures, including cancer, vaccine, and .... well, you'll have to listen for more! Thanks to supporters, Animalogy is a 100% listener supported podcast. Become a supporter today.

Animalogy The Animals in Our Everyday Words & Phrases

Vaccines Are Full of Bull? Animal-Related Words for Diseases and Cures

Have you ever been "fleeced"? Have you ever "gone in search of the golden fleece" or "pulled the wool over someone's eyes"? Are your opinions "dyed in the wool"? In today's episode of Animalogy, I discuss the animal origins of these words and expressions, all of which have to do with the hair of sheep. In other words, they're Animalogies! Thank you to the supporters of today's episode. Become a patreon today!

Don’t Get Fleeced or Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes: Expressions from the Hair of Sheep

We have many words built from the English word for "bear," the Latin word for "bear," and the Greek word for "bear," and we have many expressions and phrases built from the same ursine animal. Of course there are also expressions using the verb "to bear," as in "to carry," such as in "bearing fruit, bearing a child, or bearing a burden or a grudge. Let's explore the origins of all of these. Thank you for supporting Animalogy Podcast at Patreon.com/ColleenPatrickGoudreau

Berserk for Bears: Words from our Ursine Animals

The word “fly” is a very old word, and of course we have many expressions and nouns that contain the word "fly" itself, but do you know that there are dozens of familiar words whose origins reside in flies and other winged insects? 

Drawing Listeners Like Flies (Hopefully): Words from our Winged Insects

In a pivotal scene in David Lynch’s film, The Elephant Man, the main character turns on those who are cruelly taunting him and declares “I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man.” The crowd disperses. Ever since the first time I saw this movie, I’ve had the same reaction. As a sympathetic viewer, I’m relieved that Merrick decries his abusers, but in making a claim for the dignity he deserves as a man, the implication is that the abuse would be acceptable if he were “an animal.” And yet, human and non-human, we are all animals. We are all made of the same stuff, evident even in the word “animal,” whose root word means “soul.” Supporters make this podcast possible, and they receive written transcripts of each and every episode.

What's in a Name? The Soul of an Animal

If I asked you to name some cities and countries named after animals, how many could you come up with? You might think of obvious ones, such as Buffalo NY; Beaver, UY; White Horse, NJ; or Eagle River in Ontario; or Weston-Under-Lizard near Birmingham in the UK. But what about cities and countries around the world whose animal origins are much less apparent? Join me today as we explore our connection with animals through geographical locations inspired by animals. Supporters make this podcast possible and receive written transcripts of each an every episode. Become a supporter today. 

Geographical Place Names with Animal Origins

"Piggyback" has nothing to do with pigs! In fact, there are many seemingly animal-related words and phrases in the English language that have nothing to do with animals at all! In today’s episode, I offer up the backstory to words such as piggyback, monkey wrench, round robin, and spelling bee.  Thanks to listener supporters who receive transcripts of every episode.

Piggyback: Animal Words with No Animal Origins

By now you would have listened to the Animalogy episodes about the words muscle, coccyx, and tragus — all parts of our body. All words from animals. Today, we have an entire episode on a number of other terms for parts of our anatomy that have animals hiding within. These and many more reflect how deeply rooted animals are in our consciousness, in our history, in our lives — and deep in our animal bones.  Thank you, listeners and supporters! Supporters receive transcripts of each and every episode. Go to Patreon.com/ColleenPatrickGoudreau to get your perks today!

Animals in Our Bones: Anatomy Terms from Animals

The word meat goes back at least as far as 731 AD, but it didn't mean then what it does today. Its meaning was much broader. Understanding the history and evolution of the word can go a long way in normalizing plant-based meats and eschewing the derogatory qualifiers: “fake,” “faux,” “alternative,” “imitation,” “mock,” “replacement,” “analog,” or “substitute." Words matter.

Vegetarians Eat Meat: The History and Future of the Word

Whereas the word veal in English simply means “flesh of a calf” and pork in English means “flesh of a pig used as food,” hidden in many of the Anglo-Saxon/Old English and Proto-Indo-European words for the living animals are clues about the physical, behavioral, or vocal characteristics of the living animals, reflecting a tendency to name animals based on typical attributes or activities.  Supporters receive written transcripts of each podcast episode. Visit AnimalogyPodcast.com for more.

Animal Characteristics in Word Histories: Who They Are in What We Say

Roughly 10,000 new words entered the English language during the Norman occupation and assimilation, particularly those having to do with the world of the ruling class. The effects of the linguistic class division are most apparent in the culinary realm, where words used by the aristocracy have French origins and words used by the commoners have Germanic origins. This is evident even today in the way we talk about certain animals, particularly those typically eaten by Westerners, with words rooted in Anglo-Saxon / Old English to indicate the living animals and words rooted in Old French to indicate the slaughtered animal as flesh for consumption. 

Old English Pigs and Old French Pork: The Linguistic Cleaving of Animals

In a previous episode on words for different colors, an episode called Ingrained: A Crush of Color, I talked about the names we have for colors based on animals who have been crushed to create the color or from whom we've extracted their secretions to create colors or pigments. Today, we talk about the names for colors whose histories are a lot easier on animals, because they're inspired by the colors of living animals.  Thank you for listening to and supporting Animalogy Podcast. 

No Critters Harmed: Colors Inspired by Living Animals

When something is ingrained, it’s "deeply rooted" or "firmly fixed," pertaining to qualities, dispositions, or habits. This figurative use of the word ingrain came into English in the 1850s, but its original sense is from the 1300s and had to do with the dried and pulverized insects used to make a color. In this episode, I share all the colors whose names come from the animals whose bodies we crushed or from whom we extracted secretions to make dyes, colors, and pigments.  

Ingrained: A Crush of Color

A toady is a person who flatters and ingratiates himself or herself to another person in a servile way; a toady is a sycophant, a flatterer, especially someone who does distasteful or unprincipled things in order to gain favor. Celebrities and politicians are often accused of toadeating, and toadeating is exactly how we get the name of someone who kowtows.  Pay close attention to this episode, as several animalogies are hiding within. Submit them here to curry my favor. 

Toady: Lick My Boots and Curry My Favor

For years, the dairy industry has been trying to make it illegal for nondairy milk companies to use the word “milk," asserting that the word “milk” should be used to refer only to the lacteal secretions of cows. Today, I'm joined by Michele Simon, public health lawyer and director of the first trade group to represent plant-based foods companies, to talk about the legal definitions of milk, ice cream, cheese, butter, and yogurt as they pertain to food labeling and what the dairy industry is so afraid of that they are using Congress to pass a bill to squelch competition. Thank you for sharing and supporting Animalogy. 

Who Owns the Word "Milk"?

ANIMALOGY is a podcast about language, the animal-related words and phrases we use every day, and how they reflect and affect our relationship with animals. Hosted by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, bestselling author, long-time podcaster, and self-proclaimed zoolinguaphile, Animalogy will change the way you talk -- and think -- about animals. For show notes and more, visit animalogypodcast.com.

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Animalogy The Animals in Our Everyday Words & Phrases

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