Podcasts: interesting facts in easy English

Preferred Gender Pronouns
Please introduce yourself and state your preferred gender pronouns.

The Suffix –stan Means Land
Why do so many nations have the suffix?

Pollyanna the Russian Reindeer
Why would a reindeer travel by submarine?

Black Friday is Also Buy Nothing Day
What’s wrong with the old TV?

International Pilots Require English Proficiency
Did she say fourteen or forty kilometres west?

All Roads Lead To Rome
Which directions should I follow, Mom’s or Dad’s?

An American Football Game Has 11 Minutes of Action
Did anything happen while I was grabbing a drink?

A Day on Venus is Longer Than a Year on Venus
Which planet spins the wrong way?

Alexander Graham Bell Preferred “Ahoy” To “Hello”
Are you ready to talk?

Tortoises And Turtles
What’s the difference between these reptiles?

Accessible Currency for the Blind
Is this a one dollar bill or a one-hundred dollar bill?

Pumpkin is a Term of Endearment
Why did that man call me a deer?

Timbuktu is a Real City
Did you really look all the way from here to Timbuktu?

Spelling Errors in the US Constitution
Would spell check have come in handy in 1787?

Luxury Cars Abandoned at Dubai Airport
Why would someone abandon a Ferrari?

Lamborghini Started as a Tractor Company
What inspired Lamborghini to switch to sports cars?

The Diomede Islands: Tomorrow Island & Yesterday Isle
How can they be so close, yet so far away?

‘Ramparts’ Are Protective Barriers
What are the ramparts in The Star Spangled Banner?

Frogs Were Used In Pregnancy Tests
Am I pregnant? Let’s ask the frog.

Beer Power
Will Homer Simpson’s dream come true?

Allspice is a Single Spice
What makes this chicken taste so good?

English is Jamaica’s Official Language
Why can’t I understand the locals in Jamaica?

How To Name An Octopus
What should we call this adorable creature?

Canada is Twice the Size of the European Union
What’s the second biggest country?

Canadian Police Hand Out Positive Tickets
Why is she getting a ticket for using a crosswalk?

The First Ambulance Wheels Were Feet
What do ambulances have to do with ambling?

Photographers Line Up For Manhattanhenge
What are all of those people taking pictures of?

New York City Was Once New Amsterdam
Why wasn’t it called the Big Orange?

The Limit of the Human Memory
Why can’t I remember all of that?

Six Feet Under Means Departed
Why did they dig so far down?

Da Vinci’s Rule of the Trees
How did that tree survive that windstorm?

“Q” is the Second Least Common Letter
What can I spell with the letter Q?

Habitat Loss is the Leading Cause of Extinction
Why are there armed men near that rhino?

Spring Fever is a Real Condition
Why does she have a spring in her step?

The Difference Between White and Brown Eggs
Why pay more for brown eggs?

Sarcasm Means To Tear Flesh
What did he really mean when he said I had nice hair?

The Birthmark Theory
Where did that red spot go?

Shrink Is Slang for Psychiatrist
Why are psychiatrists called shrinks?

The Cover That Came Before the Book
What does this cover have to do with the book?

Pica Means Magpie
Why is he eating sand?

Owls Fly Silently
Why didn’t I hear that owl fly by?

Juliet Receives Heartbroken Letters
Dear Juliet…

Twitter Was Born from a Hackathon
Is this why we always saw the “fail whale”?

Dolphins Get High on Puffer Fish
Can you pass the puffer fish?

Air Rage Is Common in China
The flight is delayed again!

Fingernails Grow Faster Than Toenails
Why do my nails take so long to grow?

A Disaster Was a Bad Star
What caused that flood?

Santa’s Reindeer Must Be Female
When do reindeer lose their antlers?

Shortbread Means Crumbly Bread
What’s so short about shortbread?