Ordering Adjectives with Author Mark Forsyth

When describing something with numerous adjectives (eg. the big brown dog, the heavy square steel door) there's a natural order we all instinctively follow as english speakers. I don't remember ever being taught it, nor would I be able to explain it to you, but my ear can definitely tell if someone gets it wrong!

English adjectives follow a specific order. Who Knew?!?

Well, there's one person for sure:

What our special guest on this episode, award-winning author, journalist, and etymologist, Mark Forsyth, doesn't know about the English language, simply isn't worth knowing.

In our conversation, Mark breaks down the correct traditional ordering of adjectives. And Mark's passion for the English language becomes clear as he walks us through other nuances of English, such as Ablaut Reduplication (why it's Zig Zag and Splish-Splash rather than Zag-Zig or Splash-Splish), Chiasmus (inverting phrases in a speech eg. “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address (1961)) and many more.

Additionally, in celebration of Mark's latest book; "Rhyme and Reason : A short history of Poetry and People (for people who don’t usually read poetry)" we talk about the history of poetry and its impact on readers from medieval times to the present. We learn how poetry was once widely shared and enjoyed socially (a bit like sharing memes on social media today) and how English has natural cadences and rhythm to it, that we all make use of every day - again, without having a clue that we're doing it. And we also learn why most of us have been thinking about poetry all wrong ever since school.

In the episode, we also reference Mark's other books such as The Etymologist and The Elements of Eloquence, which can all be found here.

And you can follow Mark's musings and love of language on his blog as The Inky Fool, on Twitter, and on Instagram.

Episode Summary

00:00 Welcome & Introduction to Mark Forsyth: Wordsmith Extraordinaire

01:05 Mark Forsyth's Journey with the English Language

01:44 The Fascinating World of Words and Their Origins

02:27 Mark Forsyth's Books and Their Unique Insights

06:32 The Popularity of Poetry Through the Ages

11:06 The Decline of Poetry and Rise of Pop Lyrics

12:48 Exploring English Syntax and Adjective Order

15:03 The Intricacies of English Grammar

21:38 Fun with Language: Reduplication and Compounds

27:38 Rhyme and Reason: Poetry in Society

29:27 The Unsung Heroes of Songwriting

30:42 The Evolution of Poetry's Popularity

41:33 The Rhythms of English Language

50:54 The Charm of Limericks

54:49 The Joy of Reading Poetry Aloud

56:45 Closing Thoughts and Farewell

All music on this podcast series is provided by the wonderfully talented Franc Cinelli.

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