Nunberg looks at a new kind of fake news — "infoganda."

Language Commentator Geoffrey Nunberg explores the language and sounds of talking computers and how they handle the subtlety of vocal inflection. (Segment)

Linguist Geoff Nunberg talks about the use of the term Lucubrate.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg on the controversies of the 1950s over the grammar of commercials.

It takes one to know one: Linguist Geoff Nunberg discusses the apolitical, prosaic prowess of the late New York Times conservative wordsmith, William Safire.

With a national health-care conversation in high gear, linguist Geoff Nunberg notes that "government" (as in "government-run plan") wasn't always such a dirty word. From "G-men" to "government bureaucrats," on this edition of Fresh Air.

Geoff Nunberg discusses the term "fascist."

President Trump has a penchant for breathing new life into expressions with troubled pasts, like "America first" and "enemy of the people." It's not likely his uses of those phrases will survive his presidency. But he may have altered the political lexicon more enduringly at a Houston rally two weeks before the elections, when he proclaimed himself a "nationalist" and urged his supporters to use the word.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers how the September 11th attacks and the aftermath have affected the way we talk.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg considers the rhetorical strategies of angry talk show hosts -- divorced from their politics.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg mourns some of the colorful words that seem to have vanished from our language, like galoot, dudgeon, and geegaw. Some quick research reveals that no one is quite sure where they came from.

For the first time, a computer passed the test for machines engaging in intelligent thought. Linguist Geoff Nunberg says the real test is whether computers can behave the same way thinking people do.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers the way brands are used now.

Geoff Nunberg on speaking with hands.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on the importance of the integrity of language to the French.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg has some gift suggestions for the language lovers on your gift list.

The Fresh Air linguist comments on the speaking styles of 2004 presidential candidates John Kerry and George Bush.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers the use of the first person pronouns to personalize everything from computers to contracts.

When Sarah Palin used the word "refudiate," she took a lot of flak -- both for saying she coined the word deliberately and then comparing herself to Shakespeare. Linguist Geoff Nunberg says political slips and errors aren't half as interesting as the way people react to them.

Early in January, the American Dialect Society will meet in San Francisco to vote for 2008's Word of the Year. Several dictionaries have already made their own selections. After looking over the field, Fresh Air's resident linguist has a candidate, too.