Search Content
This Quiz Might Make You 'Grimm' Apr. 20, 2022
Once upon a time, a sadistic language columnist challenged his readers to find one grammar or usage ... Read More
When Choosing Classical Plurals, Caveat Errata! Mar. 23, 2022
Howard Goldberg of West Hartford, Connecticut, poses this plural puzzler: What's the Latin singular ... Read More
Let's Jettison Excess 'Ton'nage Feb. 23, 2022
Today, some random dispatches from the Word Front... — 2,000 Pound Gorilla — A recent in... Read More
Is 'False Flag' a Linguistic 'Fabric'ation? Feb. 16, 2022
The term "false flag operation" has been flying frequently during the past few years, most recently ... Read More
Midnight Cowboy Shows Up at High Noon Feb. 02, 2022
Q: What's the proper use of "a.m." or "p.m." for 12 noon and 12 midnight? — Bertha Williams, S... Read More
'Historic' or Jan. 12, 2022
Q: We have seen signs that read "Historical Site" as well as "Historic Site." Which is correct? R... Read More
These Quirky Words Are Spellbinding Oct. 13, 2021
Today, I serve up an alphabet soup of lettery lore. Letter rip! "Strengths" is the longest word in E... Read More
Complexities Troll 'Comptroller,' 'Controller' Oct. 06, 2021
What's the deal with "comptroller" and "controller"? Peter Van Winkle of Boston asked me that questi... Read More
Ladling Out Some Alphabet Soup Sep. 29, 2021
Loyal readers have just scooped up the latest batch of errors in newspapers and other publications. ... Read More
The Shot Heard Round the World of Words Sep. 22, 2021
Seventy years ago, on Oct. 3, 1951, New York Giants outfielder and second-baseman Bobby Thomson blas... Read More
I Know There's a 'Rifle' in There Somewhere! Sep. 15, 2021
I was riffling through my mailbox the other day, when I came across this letter from John Daigle of ... Read More
Bank 'Bail Outs' Reflect Every Sense of the Term Sep. 08, 2021
Q: When we talk about bailouts of banks, does "bail" refer to bailing out a boat with a bucket or to... Read More
Let's Puncture Archaic Punctuation! Sep. 01, 2021
Q: I'm all for eliminating spaces and hyphens! No more "cell phones!" It should be "cellphones." No ... Read More
Prefixes 'En' and 'In' Battle for Dominance Aug. 25, 2021
Q. When should "enclosed" be used vs. "inclosed"? Is there a difference in meaning? — Katherin... Read More
By Any Other Name Lacks Respect May. 09, 2021
When he responded to my call with a deep, slow hello, it sounded like I roused him from sleep. I blu... Read More
Hispanic? Latino? Latinx? What's Nextx?: Part II Feb. 06, 2021
None of the arguments espoused by those Colgate University students back in 1992 convinced me then, ... Read More
'Ask Them to Spell Their Names' and Other Real-Life Blunders in Transcultural Business Communications: Part I Dec. 19, 2020
"The single greatest barrier to business success is the one erected by culture," said Edward T. Hall... Read More
'Flatten' Down the Hatches! Apr. 01, 2020
The mantra of public health experts during the current coronavirus pandemic has been, "Let's flatten... Read More
'Existential' is the 'Dumpster Fire' of 2019. Like, Literally. Dec. 06, 2019
Fancy words go in and out of fashion, positing an existential temptation to overuse them like salt. ... Read More
Lock, Stock and Peril Oct. 02, 2019
— Answering a Loaded Question: President Donald Trump's recent description of the U.S. militar... Read More
