Smart TalkSMART TALK

By Dr. Clark Chousie

PODIUM: At the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired, we're amazed at how many people know pod or ped are Greek for foot, understand why a three-footed stand is a tripod, and yet don't know what a lectern is.  A lectern is the standup reading desk that lecturers put their notes on.  A podium is for the feet.  It's what the conductor stands on.  That fine writers and other smart folks use podium for both doesn't make it right.  Most of them don't know the difference between that and which, either.