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And Now for Something Completely 'Different' Aug. 07, 2024
Is it wrong to write "different than" instead of "different from"? Several readers raised that quest... Read More
Hopefully, I've Changed Over the Decades Jul. 31, 2024
When I began writing this column in the autumn of 1992, an unpopular incumbent president was running... Read More
In the Age of AI, Let's Vet the Origin of 'HAL' Jul. 24, 2024
Q: Can you verify the theory that the computer "HAL" in the movie "2001 — A Space Odyssey" is ... Read More
Stay Composed When You Use 'Comprise' Jul. 17, 2024
"Can you discuss 'comprise/compose' in your column," writes Carole Shmurak of Farmington, Connecticu... Read More
Blooper Patrol Bags Some Beauts! Jul. 10, 2024
And now for some gaffs ... er, gaffes from newspapers and magazines as reported by the ever-vigilant... Read More
Word Guy Goes Radio-Active Jul. 03, 2024
When I discussed grammar and usage on a rather zany and offbeat radio talk show program a while back... Read More
Handling a Business Dispute With Grace Jul. 01, 2024
Dear Annie: I get my car detailed at a business near the beach in Los Angeles. When I took my car th... Read More
Staying Away From Social Media Jun. 26, 2024
Dear Annie: I used to complain about not receiving thank-you notes, but how many times have you been... Read More
A Watched 'Pot' Sometimes Boils Jun. 26, 2024
My friend Myron from Montana asks me to take aim at the origin of "potshot." In not-so-merry olde En... Read More
Coulda, Woulda, Shouldn't Jun. 19, 2024
"If you would have told UConn basketball coach Dan Hurley six years ago that the LA Lakers would one... Read More
A Summer Feast for Wordies Jun. 12, 2024
While you're enjoying a deck, a dock or a daiquiri this summer, dip into the one of these new books ... Read More
Caught Between 'Among' and a Hard-Fought Place Jun. 05, 2024
Q: I often see this misuse in the newspaper: "between three people." Shouldn't it be "between two pe... Read More
More Text Talk Jun. 01, 2024
Dear Annie: My girlfriend's father has a knack for calling or texting me at the most inconvenient ti... Read More
Some Words Run on 'Fossil' Fuels May. 29, 2024
Sometimes a word's archaic meaning is embedded in its modern definition like a fossil in a rock. Whe... Read More
'Casus Belli' Ignites Linguistic Wars May. 22, 2024
Latin plurals have been a casus belli (justification for war) among English speakers for centuries. ... Read More
Bridging Distance in Busy Marriage May. 16, 2024
Dear Annie: I've been happily married for over 12 years, but lately, I've noticed a growing distance... Read More
Peroxide Paradox: 'Blonde' or 'Blond'? May. 15, 2024
In American lingo today, "blonde" is a word to dye for. Recently published books include Laurence Le... Read More
This Column Is Aimed at the 'Likes' of You! May. 08, 2024
In an interview for a documentary about Bill Clinton, his White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers ... Read More
Grandparent Problems and Communication Challenges May. 06, 2024
Dear Annie: I've been reading more and more of your stories and enjoying them. But the one that real... Read More
And Don't Call Me 'Sirly'! May. 01, 2024
Medieval aristocrats living in lofty castles looked down on the commoners around them, both literall... Read More
