Grab your stake and crucifix pendant, we're going vampire-hunting! Well, vampire-etymology-hunting. The podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, which recaps the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode by episode, invited me to answer their listeners' questions of language that the show had provoked. Together with BVTS hosts Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs, I tackle the etymology of coven, vampire/vampyre, wigging out, the name Buffy and Bovril; as well as google as a verb, conlang on TV, and why Latin is so often the language of spells and spookiness.

There are several swears in this episode.

Find out more about this episode and some sources of the information therein at theallusionist.org/bufflusionist, where there's also a transcript.

Listen to Buffering the Vampire Slayer on your pod app and at bufferingthevampireslayer.com, where you can also hear the original XL version of this episode, and get tickets for their upcoming live and livestreamed grand finale.

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The Allusionist is produced by me, Helen Zaltzman. The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin’s own songs via palebirdmusic.com.

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