What is Butter No Parsnips?

Once upon a time, Kyle Imperatore, Emily Moyers and Seth Gliksman would spend their hours resigned to a Discord server due to some garden variety global pandemic. Isolated, starved for human interaction, and staunchly nerdy, Kyle and Emily took to playing games of “Guess this Crazy Word” (Patent Pending) to pass the time while others assembled in the chat. It wasn’t long before that content hound Seth sniffed out something good in this little game, and thus, Butter No Parsnips was born… Sort of.

It took months of deliberation and doubt and decision-making and defibrillation (would you believe it?), but eventually the team got together the idea of this show. A show dedicated to all those words you hear across the internet, in old books, and from that one professor who just will not stop her lecture to define a word for you. From the OED to the Urban Dictionary, the show takes you on a journey through not just the etymology of each word, but its usage throughout time, and its users throughout time, and the time those users lived in, and so much more. Standing squarely at the crossroads of etymology, linguistics, comedy, and history, the idea was in cement—the show just needed a name.

And the trio searched far and wide for one, when in a bout of afflatus, Kyle jotted something down: Butter No Parsnips. What did it mean? What did it refer to? Why did Kyle say it? Was his mind going? A quick trip to the psych ward would surely be enough to get him back on the straight and narrow. Was it worth it to Emily and Seth? Certainly not. And he explained, “Fine words doth butter no parsnips”. An old—like 1600s old—phrase meaning, in short, actions speak louder than words.

It was perfect. Every week, the podcast focuses on some obscure word that you’ve likely never heard before, and that you’d be more than hard-pressed to fit into a conversation. They are those fine words. However, the conversations which follow each word demonstrate a deep history of action, of utility, of exploits and expeditions, of kings and queens, of writers and rebels, and of so very much more. So away with those ‘fine words’, they said, and Butter No Parsnips finally came to be.

Now, every week on Butter No Parsnips, your hosts Emily Moyers and Kyle Imperatore take you on an adventure through the weird, wacky, wonderful, and sometimes wicked history of one wayside word. Strange characters, delightful bits, and general joyousness abound as they test each other's etymological expertise!

Who is Butter No Parsnips?

  • Kyle Imperatore

    Kyle is an actor, composer, and librarian currently occupying his family’s cherished ancestral bungalow. Kyle’s childhood love of video games buttresses his episode-by-episode approach towards uncovering mystic inscriptions of the past, presenting the quirky NPCs of our Earthly yesteryears, and bringing the audience along on epic quests with wordy rewards. He’s also content to sprinkle the podcast with fanfares and leitmotifs whenever he’s called on to do so. When not slaying Moblins or crafting triumphal tunes, Kyle prefers the joys of cooking (and the ensuing joys of eating). It’s his hope that he may one day apply his archival acumen in the musical field to foster accessibility to classical and theatrical scores.

  • Emily Moyers

    Emily brings to this podcast a Bachelor’s in English, years of improv comedy experience, and a childhood spent nose-deep in fantasy books. With that background, she approaches her episodes looking to blend scholarly research with a good sense of humor and a spark of passion. In her spare time, Emily can often be found taking that same approach to writing the D&D campaign she may or may not ever get around to running. She is also currently pursuing a Master’s in Library Science with a Certificate in Archives. Emily hopes one day to put both her schooling and her BNP experience to use and work with collections of old and rare dictionaries.

  • Seth Gliksman

    Seth is a digital media man and the keeper of the sacred Lexiconicon. Having worked with the likes of Bloomberg science journalist Faye Flam, Ig Nobel and Improbable Research founder Marc Abrahams, and the Hank and John Green company Complexly, Butter No Parsnips was nothing short of an inevitability for him. Seth simply likes to make stuff and also keep ancient secrets foretold by our shadowy word ancestors. And if he’s not mincing words with Kyle and Emily, he’s tending to his other craft—bad art, or just finding ways to use his talents to support the talents of his remarkably talented circle of talented friends. He just hopes you like it!