Ep. 42: Miracle

What if I told you that miracles happen everyday? What if Abe also told you that's really not a big deal because the etymology of the word reveals that miracles aren't about anything unusual anyways? In today's episode, we venture into discussions of consciousness, the Christmas story, and the power of movies. Efren brings a piece of literature from Jorge Luis Borges, and Aaron does the hosting. This was a liveshow so thanks go out to anybody who joined us on our Zoom call, especially Hugo, who helped us choose the song. Were the times good? Well, they were a miracle.

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Ep. 41: Loot

On today's episode we look at the history of this rich word. Aaron hosts the guys as they react to recent news events by looking up a word. Abraham has done the research revealing its various definitions over the years, and discovers that the Oxford English Dictionary has not updated its entry to include how the word is often used today. Efren brings us a great poem by Lenelle Moise, and Josh edits out a curseword, all on this episode of Extreme Vocabulary.

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Ep. 40: Sartorial

On today's episode we ask you a sexy question: What are you wearing? As we talk about the word Sartorial, we discuss scientifically engineered clothes, T&C Surf Designs, pretending to be upper class, comfortability, double-breasted suits, kimonos, hamstrings, the ridiculousness of rock star clothing, and the philosophy of clothes in general. We also discuss how COVID-19 has changed our clothing style. Efren brings a fashionable poem by Eileen R. Tabios about the white-collar working class. Josh chooses ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man." And Abe and Aaron wear their hair big. So put on some pajamas and get comfy with Extreme Vocabulary!

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Ep. 39: Commune

In this second of our two-part series, we think about communism's root word commune. We ask, what can humans commune with? What is left of the commons? Air? Water? Desert? And Efren offers Planet Fitness as a utopian model of communism. Wait! Hear us out! Efren brings a poem by Brian Komei Dempster, Abe tells us about the Paris commune, Josh tells us about the E.T. Atari games in the desert, and Aaron teaches us how to commune with each other here on Extreme Vocabulary!

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Ep. 38: Capital

Today's episode is the first of a two-part discussion on the opposing terms CAPITAL and COMMUNE, roots of the words capitalism and communism. And you bet that our discussion will rattle your head as we take on the debate between capital and commune! Abraham looks at the many definitions of capital from head, to pillar, to manuscripts, to economic value. Meanwhile, Efren brings us a poem by Joshua Clover. Who will win the debate between capital and commune? It depends. What do you value, dear listener?

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Ep. 37: No Word

Today we take a break from our usual programming to catch up with each other and reveal tiny slivers of our usually concealed identities. Also, some number of impressions are done. 

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EV 36: Blunt

On today's episode, we are missing Aaron so we lose our edge as we discuss today's not-so-sharp word, "blunt." So join us as we consider the history of how warfare generates our metaphors, insults make us dance, and salsa inspires the salivary glands for us all. Abe takes us back in time through the origins of this word, while Efren brings a recent example from a work of literature by Justin Torres.

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BONUS: now you can join us for the never-ending Extreme Vocabulary Dance Party by listening to our playlist on Apple Music (spotify links forthcoming). Enjoy!