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The Strange Etymologies of 'the Left,' 'Liberals,' 'Progressives' and 'Red Parties' (Part IV) Jun. 19, 2021
After peaking during the mid-1960s, the "liberal" political brand entered a prolonged crisis from wh... Read More
The Strange Etymologies of 'the Left,' 'Liberals,' 'Progressives' and 'Red Parties' (Part III) May. 29, 2021
Despite the increased use of political attack labels like "leftist" and "right-wing" in contemporary... Read More
The Strange Etymologies of 'the Left,' 'Liberals,' 'Progressives' and 'Red Parties' (Part II) May. 22, 2021
Since its origins in revolutionary France, the definition of "the left" has continuously evolved in ... Read More
The Strange Etymologies of 'the Left,' 'Liberals,' 'Progressives' and 'Red Parties' (Part I) May. 15, 2021
Languages, especially their vocabularies, are in constant flux. Like living organisms, they are born... Read More
Nothing is Perma'meant' but Change Apr. 28, 2021
We tend to think of words as immutable objects — solid rocks we fit together to construct the ... Read More
Coach Gets a Lesson in 'Wet'-ymology Feb. 03, 2021
Early in my teaching career, I was coaching a boys' cross-country team at a local park when my runne... Read More
Do Brainstorms Cause Thunder and Enlightening? Jul. 29, 2020
We've all been there. You and your colleagues are brainstorming during a Zoom session, shouting out ... Read More
The Fake That Launched a Thousand Slips May. 13, 2020
When the origin of a word seems obvious, beware! Consider these tricksters: Launch: You might assume... Read More
Are You Ready for a 'Double-Cross-Word' Puzzle? Apr. 29, 2020
Let's play "Guess the Word Origin!" Can you select the correct derivation of these terms? 1. When so... Read More
Taking the Terror out of 'Terrific' Feb. 26, 2020
Q: Could you explain why "terrible" and "horrible" are synonyms but "terrific" and "horrific" are an... Read More
Hacking Around With Backronyms Feb. 12, 2020
During my first year of teaching, I supervised about 50 boys in a recreational jogging program. It w... Read More
Repartee in the Rathskeller? You Don't Say! Dec. 25, 2019
Here's your chance to test your mastery of frequently mispronounced words. I'll even throw in some l... Read More
Walking in a Winter 'Worder'-land Nov. 20, 2019
Put some words in your wassail and some punctuation in your punch this holiday season with one of th... Read More
'American Exceptionalism' -- What, Who, Why and Really? Nov. 13, 2019
Pundits, professors and presidents have been batting around the term "American exceptionalism" like ... Read More
Shoo, 'Of,' Don't Bother Me! Nov. 06, 2019
The seemingly harmless preposition "of" is the fly in the ointment of good writing. This pesky pest ... Read More
Whistle(blow) While You Work Oct. 30, 2019
Pity the poor word "whistleblower." Like the intrepid human it denotes, this term has endured a long... Read More
Can You Make Sound Choices Between Sound-Alike Words? Oct. 23, 2019
Some usage distinctions are so tricky that even very intelligent people find them challenging. OK, s... Read More
Affection for 'Inflection'? We Get the Point Oct. 16, 2019
When it comes to the use — and overuse — of "inflection point," we're clearly at an infl... 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
Reading Between the Lines Sep. 25, 2019
Bing Crosby once crooned in a classic song, "You've got to accentuate the positive/ Eliminate the ne... Read More
