Donkey Work

06/28/23 • 15 min

Ever noticed how many idioms there are about animals? They seem to breed like rabbits! And interestingly, different animals tend to have the same reputation across cultures. Lions are brave. Snakes are sneaky. And donkeys? Oh, poor donkeys.

Previous Episode

The Elephant in the Room

Rune Pedersen just wants to talk about something he’s not supposed to talk about. Taboos! Idioms are a great way to approach taboos. They allow us to talk about something without saying it directly, but what and who gets cut out of the conversation when we beat around the bush?

Next Episode

Spinning a yarn

We know that language shapes how we see the world, and storytelling has the power to preserve cultural knowledge from one generation to the next. Storytelling and yarning is at the heart of First Nations cultures and communities in Australia. Stories have been passed down for thousands of years, connecting Indigenous peoples with their culture and land. So how does language - including stories, slang and idioms - preserve First Nations cultures? And what is the impact of colonisation on this tradition of handing down culture through language? This episode of The Idiom is all about deep listening, with guests Taryn Marks and Dr John Davis.