The Word's Worth

Follow The Word's Worth
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Get to know Russia from the inside out, with podcasts on Russian language, culture and the latest news.

The Moscow Times


    • Aug 11, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 8m AVG DURATION
    • 245 EPISODES

    5 from 35 ratings Listeners of The Word's Worth that love the show mention: russian language, column, reading, worth, like, moscow times, michele berdy.



    Search for episodes from The Word's Worth with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from The Word's Worth

    Plug It, Mute It, or Hear It

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2023 8:52


    The words for things that shut out sound and let you hear it are the same in Russian. Of course they are.

    Alexei Navalny and the Secret List of Forbidden Words

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2023 9:44


    It's hard to know where general language ends and criminal slangs begins.

    And Yet It's Nevertheless, All the Same, After All

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 8:37


    The joy of particles (not).

    A Guide to Giving a Bribe in Russian

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2023 8:20


    What you say when you bribe depends on whether you want something or they want something.

    Who is Gulya and Why Do We Care About Her Nose?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 8:30


    The preposition "c" has some weird constructions.

    Spitting, Eating Your Teeth and Other Weird Gestures

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 8:35


    When a person eats his teeth, is that bad or good? Or even possible?

    Take Your Pick: Mutiny, Coup, Uprising or Nothing

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2023 10:59


    What happened last week is a changing story that depends on speaker, day, mood and the subjunctive.

    Wait - What Russian Month is This?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2023 10:23


    If you thought you knew the names of the months in Russian, think again.

    What's in a Name? With Russian Holidays - Everything

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2023 12:12


    This week Russia celebrated Russia Day. If you have no idea what that holiday is, join the gang.

    A Gathering of Witches, Dues, Herbs and Classmates

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2023 8:37


    Сбор and сборы are unusual words: sometimes the singular and plural forms have unrelated meanings.

    Buy a Brilliant and Applaud an Artist

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 8:40


    Oh, those false friends... every translator's nightmare.

    Tricks of the Trade

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2023 9:52


    Using the right verb and the right case to express changing and exchanging is a big headache.

    Under the Mighty Oak I Sit, Stupidly

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2023 10:04


    Sitting on stumps, falling out of trees and stepping in rotten logs figure prominently in Russian expressions.

    The Cat Cried and Ran By

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 11:15


    Cats are popular pets In Russia but unpopular in folk expressions.

    Serving and Not Serving in the Military

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2023 8:47


    The confusing terminology of conscripts, reservists and draft dodgers.

    Two Words, Three Letters and Ten Meanings

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2023 8:48


    Oh, the joy of little Russian words.

    How a Saint Becomes a Sinner

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023 9:34


    How some Russian words change meaning in and out of church.

    Of Courtyards, Grifters and Days Off

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 9:13


    All about things and people that pass by, pass through, and ought to pass off forever.

    Shame That is Cringeworthy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 7:57


    Understanding teenagers is a struggle that makes you cringe.

    Of Ear Noodles and Maniacal Printers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2023 10:14


    How you can spend a day translating three words.

    Please Don't Hit on Me, Bug Me, or Harass Me

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 7:06


    How everyone from gangsters to presidents keep people calm and in their place.

    A Pocketful of Somethings

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2023 8:10


    How can I say something? Let me count the ways.

    A Year of the Language of War

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2023 10:53


    A new set of language norms have taken hold in Russia.

    The Ears Have It

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2023 7:58


    Russian ears are more athletic than English ears.

    Travels, Trips and Tours

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2023 10:51


    Trips with goals, aimless travels, and all-inclusive tourist packages.

    Starting Anew or Again or Freshly Baked

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2023 8:54


    A few thoughts on new being old or next or just the same old thing over and over again.

    Mark My Words: How to Remember and Forget

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 8:36


    How to remember and how to forget are good skills to have whatever your language.

    Mark My Words: How to Remember and Forget

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2022 8:03


    How to remember and how to forget are good skills to have whatever your language.

    The Hopeless Quest for Language Purity

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2022 9:20


    Russian legislators keep making laws to keep Russian pure. It's not working.

    Words of the Year 2022

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2022 9:56


    The annual Words of the Year compendium is dark, bleak and brutal.

    Angry? Join the Zoo

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2022 8:54


    Fierce, furious and furry - that's you when you're mad.

    Get Russian-Ready for Seasons Greetings

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2022 9:41


    Take two little words - хлеб (bread) and соль (salt) - put them together and get something grand.

    Russian Pandemonium Pop Quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2022 10:56


    How do you say chaos in Russian? Let me count the ways.

    The New Russian Revolutionary Language

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 13:23


    NewSpeak, new letters and a new level of crude language used by the Russian elite.

    To Err is Human in Every Language

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2022 8:51


    The fine art of admitting your mistakes in Russian.

    Why is There a Dog in Your Email?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 10:17


    From the annals of punctuation and typographical history.

    Гойда! They Shouted. Say What?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2022 9:56


    What were they shouting on Red Square and should we worry?

    Newspeak for the Russian New Economic Policy

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2022 10:20


    Happy talk in Russian media sources. "Negative growth" and lots of "stability."

    Newspeak in the New Russia

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2022 10:06


    What they say and what they mean are two very different things.

    Good King... Who?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2022 7:36


    Why did King Charles III get a different name in Russian?

    What's In a (Dog's) Name?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2022 8:10


    If you had a Russian dog or a dog in Russia, what would you name it? The fascinating world of Russian dog names, old and new.

    Take That, You Confusing Preposition!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022 10:32


    The preposition "на" is the super glue of Russian sentences.

    Annoying Russian Questions

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2022 8:54


    Russians get tired of answering "how are you?" So they get creative. And sometimes snarky.

    All the World in One Russian Word

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2022 10:06


    When the first step is the hardest — also evil, clever, daring, wild, turbulent, smart, artistic, and jaunty.

    Warning: Do Not Say This in Russian

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2022 9:48


    When language changes we don't like it. But language doesn't care. And neither do speakers!

    Chowing Down the Russian Way

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2022 10:10


    Judging by the language, eating the Russian way means really digging in.

    The Russian Sedentary Diet

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2022 9:42


    Losing weight the Russian way involves sitting - what could be better?

    The Art of Russian Mumbling, Grumbling, and Babbling

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2022 9:40


    Everyone needs to know how to grumble, lisp, burble, gurgle, growl and bellyache.

    Stop In, Go Behind and Lose Your Mind

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2022 9:38


    How you can go around the corner, go crazy, pop in and like something with just one Russian verb.

    Getting Stronger Every Day in Every Way

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2022 9:20


    Here's a little something to keep your strength up in dark times.

    Thinking Outside the Box the Russian Way

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2022 9:34


    How to shell a nut without a nutcracker and other acts of national ingenuity.

    Claim The Word's Worth

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel