What's the difference between Qantas and the ATO? Roly Sussex will take you into the strange world of acronyms and initialisms.

Americanisms have had such an impact on our language that ABC's Roly Sussex has recorded over 10,000 of them.

Boo! From witches to wicca, Roly Sussex peeks behind the curtain of words like ghosts, spectres, Halloween and haunts.

With US elections on the horizon, Roly Sussex investigates the language of democracy.

It's the delicious language of Italy on the menu tonight.

Are you feeling tip-top, hoity-toity or namby-pamby today? Roly investigates the curiosities of echo phrases.

Do dogs go "whoof, whoof", "ruff, ruff" or "wan, wan"? Roly Sussex explores the origins of onomatopoeia.

What's the Aussie origins of the slang, jargon and banter of our nation's greatest footy code?

A "blessing in disguise" or a "blessing in the skies"? Roly Sussex dives into the elusive mondegreen.

"Wut a way you" might sound like pirate speak, but it’s a common greeting on this Australian island. 

Who knows what sous vide is? What does being out of breath have to do with your soufflé? 

Two teenagers explain the nuances of "rizz", "no cap" and "sigma" to Professor Roly Sussex.

How has news language changed over the years? And why do news reporters say words in that fancy way?

Do you ever "soften" your language to sound more polite? Roly Sussex explains "hedges", where English soften statements for pleasantry's sake.

From mispronunciation to grammatical errors, Roly Sussex explores some of the common mistakes in English.

The Cambridge Dictionary added 3200 new wods to their books last year. So what are they? Roly Sussex is your guide.

Bonjour! This week, Roly Sussex discusses the significance and evolution of the French language.

We've hit the nail on the head! This week, Roly Sussex discusses the significance of metaphors in everyday language.

Please & Thank You! This week, Roly Sussex discusses how manners and gratitude are expressed differently around the world.

Marmee? Gram? Gramps? Papa? This week, Roly Sussex discusses the words we use for our older relatives.

Are all written languages spoken? And are all spoken languages written?

From The Churchill Arms to Ye Old Fighting Cocks, there's a whole "alien" language associated with pub talk.

Music has the uncanny ability to be understood by anyone, anywhere. But why? And how did music develop its own kind of "language"?

From ships and professions to family structures and pronouns, Roly Sussex navigates the complex web of gendered language.