# NPR trivialities **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918 "2020-12-12T19:27:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/1 "2020-12-12T19:27:32Z")
I’ve been listening to NPR for probably half of my waking hours – sometimes more, rarely less – for decades now. Couple questions for the TM: - You ever notice how, almost every reporter, at the end of almost every report, almost always imparts a noticeably distinct quality of finality to the final syllable of their report? I’ve developed a Pavlovian foreknowledge of the moment of their exit byline: [final syllable; beat;] “For WBEZ, I’m Adriana Cardona-Maguigad.” Anyone else play this little game with themselves, predicting that coda? Everyone ever get it wrong? So far I never have. - Is BJ Liederman the most frequently mentioned name on NPR? I mean after Trump or Biden or Kanye? (\<- yes that’s a joke) - Anyone here have any other noticeable quirks to share? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/2 "2020-12-12T19:55:22Z")
I too have NPR on most of the time. I love hearing from Ofeibea Quist-Arcton in **“Dakaaaaar”**. (Yes I had to look up how to spell her name.) I also really like Dhwaily Saltcowtaw’s voice. (didn’t look that one up) She usually has a report during my drive home, so hearing her is both a good voice and a Pavlovian response to being done with work for the day. Does NPR have the most reporters with difficult to spell and cool sounding names of any network? Sylvia Poggioli. Neda Ulaby. Jim Zaroli. Lakshmi Singh. Robert Krulwich. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/3 "2020-12-12T20:13:37Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > I also really like Dhwaily Saltcowtaw’s voice. Doualy Xaykaothao. Took a minute to figure out who you meant. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/4 "2020-12-12T20:21:33Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Does NPR have the most reporters with difficult to spell and cool sounding names of any network? We had a whole [thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-names-in-public-radio/640512) on public radio names. I think it got mentioned elsewhere. Possible Slate or one of the other such sites. ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/5 "2020-12-12T20:38:16Z")
I notice that I have begun to associate certain NPR reporters with the regions they typically report on. When I hear Wade Goodwyn’s voice in the middle of a report when I turn on the radio, I know it’s something about Texas. Same with Eleanor Beardsley and France. I also often find myself taken with NPR’s bumper music. I’ve even managed to identify some of the songs they’ve used over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Mortimus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/6 "2020-12-12T20:39:22Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > [final syllable; beat;] “For WBEZ, I’m Adriana Cardona-Maguigad.” In the radio & TV news biz that is called the “throw”, it’s pretty common, indeed expected. It lets the person running master control know that “yup, that’s the end of this piece”. It gives them a half a beat of time to push the button that starts the next event, whatever that event happens to be. In theory every report and every event should be timed out to the second but people make mistakes on their timing. Sometimes there is no log and the master control operator has no idea how long a report is going to run. So you have to pay attention and listen for the “throw”. The “throw” is proof positive that it’s time to start the next event and make the transition smoothly. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/7 "2020-12-12T20:51:33Z")
I absolutely detest the way they so often use indistinct terms for time spans. “John has been serving lil’ chocolate doughnuts from this neighborhood storefront for _nearly three decades._” "Abby started teaching infants Tibetan throat singing _over a quarter century ago._ Just say 27 years or since 1993 or whatever. It sounds like they’re high school student trying to pad a 200 word essay assignment. > [@Paintcharge](#): > > I also really like Dhwaily Saltcowtaw’s voice. (didn’t look that one up) Her voice is OK but has she ever delivered a story without goofing something up? Not that I’ve ever heard. Cool name though. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/8 "2020-12-12T20:52:08Z")
Something I’ve noticed is that when a reporter is interviewing someone, after they ask a question the interviewee very often responds with the word “sure” before answering. Even in cases where “sure” doesn’t seem like it would be a natural response to the question. It always kind of makes me wonder if the question was actually longer when the actual interview was taking place, but got edited down before airing. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/9 "2020-12-12T21:08:36Z")
I believe the “throw” is explicitly verbal – “Back to you, Ted,” e. g. I’m talking about the final syllable of the report, before the throw. It’s just a tonal shift. Usually a slight uptick in volume and a hair longer than previous yllables. It’s been parodied many many times; think of Dana Carvey’s imitation of Robin Leach: "And I don’t know whYYY . . .’ ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/10 "2020-12-12T21:11:12Z")
I think that’s just filler, a verbal tick. Some of them say “right” instead. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/11 "2020-12-12T21:14:55Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > I love hearing from Ofeibea Quist-Arcton in **“Dakaaaaar”**. Though she’s not on NPR, Sabina Castelfranco, a Rome-based reporter and producer for several news organizations, including Voice of America and CBS Radio, does something similar. She signs off on her reports for CBS Radio with “Sabina Castelfranco, CBS News, Rhauuuuummmmmm.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/12 "2020-12-12T22:51:30Z")
Lower-level NPR reporters, and guest reporters, say “Y’know” a hell of a lot. I once counted 17 in a two-and-a-half minute report. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/13 "2020-12-12T23:20:51Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I absolutely detest the way they so often use indistinct terms for time spans. > “John has been serving lil’ chocolate doughnuts from this neighborhood storefront for _nearly three decades._ ” > "Abby started teaching infants Tibetan throat singing _over a quarter century ago._ > > Just say 27 years or since 1993 or whatever. It sounds like they’re high school student trying to pad a 200 word essay assignment. That assumes the person they’re referring to can always give them a precise date when they started. If the person being interviewed says, “I can’t remember but at least 25 years; no, it might be a bit more, may be 27 years? hmm, I’d have to pull out my tax records…”, the reporter will say “she’s been doing it for nearly three decades.” ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/14 "2020-12-13T01:29:46Z")
Not anywhere near as much as they say Um ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/15 "2020-12-13T01:49:22Z")
That too! These are supposed to be trained and experience professionals, but they so often sound like high school kids… (Yeah, I know, I couldn’t do it even as well…) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/16 "2020-12-13T01:55:43Z")
I can put in a plug for Wait Wait Dont Tell me here, I think it is the best non-music program on radio, both funny and informative. One of the best bits: > **[Clippy And Paula](https://www.npr.org/2013/12/28/257559232/clippy-and-paula)** > > We listen to one of the all-time most requested bits on our show, and Paula Poundstone takes issue with more than one scientific study. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/17 "2020-12-13T02:34:36Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > That assumes the person they’re referring to can always give them a precise date when they started. They do it way too often for that. It’s part of the style book. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/18 "2020-12-13T03:04:00Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Something I’ve noticed is that when a reporter is interviewing someone, after they ask a question the interviewee very often responds with the word “sure” before answering. Even in cases where “sure” doesn’t seem like it would be a natural response to the question. It always kind of makes me wonder if the question was actually longer when the actual interview was taking place, but got edited down before airing. Questions are often phrased in the form of “can you tell us …?”. I think we tend to subconsciously respond to that phraseology even when it isn’t there, hence the “sure, …”. Much better than “so, …” which usually makes no sense at all and quickly gets very annoying when overused. ---
**Author:** ![Bashorian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bashorian/32/3546_2.png) [@Bashorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bashorian)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/19 "2020-12-13T03:25:30Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Questions are often phrased in the form of “can you tell us …?”. I think we tend to subconsciously respond to that phraseology even when it isn’t there, hence the “sure, …”. Much better than “so, …” which usually makes no sense at all and quickly gets very annoying when overused. I would add that too often it’s obvious that the interviewer knows the answer to the question, and that makes for a boring, if not disingenuous, interview. A lot of leading questions are asked, especially when politics is the subject. That’s just for the straight NPR news programming. The syndicated shows like Fresh Air, for example, are much better. Terry Gross makes for a great interviewer. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918/20 "2020-12-13T03:37:18Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Something I’ve noticed is that when a reporter is interviewing someone, after they ask a question the interviewee very often responds with the word “sure” before answering. Even in cases where “sure” doesn’t seem like it would be a natural response to the question. It always kind of makes me wonder if the question was actually longer when the actual interview was taking place, but got edited down before airing. > [@lissener](#): > > I think that’s just filler, a verbal tick. Some of them say “right” instead. > [@Trinopus](#): > > Lower-level NPR reporters, and guest reporters, say “Y’know” a hell of a lot. I think I’ve had the radio on for a day in which every interviewee begins each response with “_Sooooo …_” I also have noticed that any time someone expresses _agreement_, E says “Noyeah …” and any time someone expresses disagreement, E says “Yeahno …” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-trivialities/927918.md?page=2)