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The Allusionist

Helen Zaltzman
Etymology
Language
Scripps National Spelling Bee
Singlish
Queer Culture
Crossword Puzzles
Animal Behavior
Toronto
Cunt
Linguistics
Hypochondria
Human-Animal Communication
The Allusionist
Health Anxiety
Patty Wars
Misophonia
Language Acquisition In Animals
Emotional Intelligence In Animals
Feminist Restaurants
Banned Books Week

Adventures in language with Helen Zaltzman. TheAllusionist.org

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes258Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsEducation

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Artwork for The Allusionist

Latest Episodes

Since we've been talking about names for the past couple of episodes, here's one of my favourites from the Allusiovaults: Yes, As In, featuring people who have names that are more usually found as common nouns and adjectives.

Got thoughts and feelin... more

"I just thought: I wonder if I could get guys called Trevor to reclaim the name?" says Trevor Cunningham. "So I went on LinkedIn and I just looked for Trevors, and I started contacting them." And, having found way more Trevors than he had ever met in... more

YouTube

Alexinomia 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 Lisa Welle... more

'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 of the found... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Recent Guests

Cinnamon Nippard
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Caspar Salmon
Writer
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Paul Bay
Former high school teacher
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Tiger Webb
Journalist
CBC
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Steve Pretty
Performer and musician
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Princess Ojiaku
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Phoebe Judge
Host of a crime-focused show
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Love Is Wise
Artist and illustrator
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Peregrine Andrews
Episode: Allusiovaults: Yes, As In

Host

Helen Zaltzman
Host of The Allusionist

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 5.6k ratings
  • almost

    I appreciate the attempt of this show but it is actually extremely stimulating. I don't find it calming in anyway. personally I feel the music is too loud, distracting, annoyingly repetitive, and the house rate of speech is also too fast so that combined with the music is so overwhelming.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Sea Elevator
    United States2 months ago
  • Started out curious and providing niche information about diverse topics, but now seems only interested in covering political topics...

    Podcast Addict
    2
    DVDBZN
    6 months ago
  • Delightful podcast about words and the English language!

    Podcast Addict
    4
    Lord Gro
    8 months ago
  • Thank

    Last night I was sick and feverish and awake in the middle of the night and the way relief crashed over me when I heard the tranquillusionist jingle. Suddenly I was warm and safe and still sick but it was manageable

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    miss Romero
    United States10 months ago
  • A Christmas Gift

    This podcast is always great. The Christmas Dickens reading though is something special. Thank you Helen and Martin

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Boo936
    Australiaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host's intelligent yet warm delivery and the show's curiosity-driven approach.
Guests are consistently high-caliber, bringing depth on language and culture.
Ads are well-integrated and engaging, not disruptive to the listening experience.
Some episodes are described as preachy by a subset of listeners with certain political views.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#154
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#68
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#76
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#74
Australia/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#236
Germany/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#58
Hong Kong/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Q: What is your name?
The guests give their names and explain their associations, origins and experiences of living with them.
Allusiovaults: Yes, As In
Q: Do you like or dislike having an unusual name?
Guests describe different responses, from appreciating a distinctive name to feeling conflicted or embarrassed while growing up, with some becoming more comfortable over time.
235. Trevor
Q: Why do you think the name Trevor has been picked on like that?
Trevor Cunningham says he does not know why fictional Trevors are often portrayed as geeks or fools, and wants to associate the name with generosity and altruism instead.
235. Trevor
Q: How did you get involved with Ask Trev?
Trevor Murphy says he joined partly as a joke to tease his wife, but came to appreciate the generosity of Cunningham's project and would be willing to offer advice.
234. No Names
Q: What is alexanomia, and how is it defined?
Alexanomia is a psychological condition characterized by the inability to say other people's names, despite knowing them, often accompanied by emotional reactions and avoidance in social contexts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Allusionist

What is The Allusionist about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Language-focused show that blends linguistic history, etymology, and culture with thoughtful interviews and playful explorations of how words shape society. Episodes span topics from phobias and dictionaries to fan cultures and translation, often featuring scholars, translators, writers, and public-facing academics. Noteworthy is the host's mix of rigor and whimsy, plus regular deep-dives into underexplored language ideas, which can appeal to word nerds, researchers, and creative professionals seeking insightful, well-researched conversations with a warm, engaging hosting style.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Allusionist?

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How many listeners does The Allusionist get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Allusionist?

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How many subscribers and views does The Allusionist have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Allusionist has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Allusionist?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Allusionist:

1. Answer Me This!
2. Articles of Interest
3. 99% Invisible
4. the memory palace
5. Decoder Ring

How many episodes of The Allusionist are there?

The Allusionist launched 12 years ago and published 258 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Allusionist?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Allusionist?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Allusionist from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Allusionist?

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What guests have appeared on The Allusionist?

Recent guests on The Allusionist include:

1. Cinnamon Nippard
2. Caspar Salmon
3. Paul Bay
4. Tiger Webb
5. Steve Pretty
6. Princess Ojiaku
7. Phoebe Judge
8. Love Is Wise

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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