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Blooper Patrol Laps Up Lapses Apr. 24, 2019
The ever-vigilant Word Guy Blooper Patrol has been working overtime to apprehend examples of erroneo... Read More
'Glide Path' Lands Smoothly on Political Runway Mar. 27, 2019
On "PBS NewsHour" last month, South Bend, Indiana, mayor and likely presidential candidate Pete Butt... Read More
'Predominately' Makes Purists 'Ant'sy Mar. 20, 2019
Q: Why do some people use the adverb "predominately" instead of "predominantly"? Is this an accepted... Read More
Origin of 'Gory' Misses Bull's-Eye Mar. 13, 2019
"The running of the bulls got off to a gory start." That was the first sentence in a CBS News report... Read More
Those Roman Plurals Are Roamin' Mar. 06, 2019
Q. I've noticed that some publications are using "millenniums" in place of "millennia," e.g., "The m... Read More
Concern for a Camera-Cornered Kid Mar. 05, 2019
Dear Annie: You printed a letter from "Concerned in Galesburg, Illinois," about photographing naked ... Read More
I Only Have Calves for You Feb. 27, 2019
A Liberty Mutual commercial depicting a bicyclist with grossly overdeveloped "custom" calves feature... Read More
Today's Politics? Don't Get Me Started! Feb. 20, 2019
During the recent partial government shutdown, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeatedly called Presiden... Read More
This Quiz Leaves No Room for Error Feb. 13, 2019
"Roominate" on the choices posed by this usage quiz as it races from the classroom to the emergency ... Read More
A Fortuitous Encounter With Al Michaels Feb. 06, 2019
During a recent NFL playoff game, veteran NBC sportscaster Al Michaels reported that an official's p... Read More
The Revel Is in the Details Jan. 30, 2019
A vivid passage from Michelle Obama's memoir, "Becoming," refreshed my appreciation for the intense ... Read More
Don't Be Judgy about 'Backflash' Jan. 23, 2019
Some random dispatches from the Word Front, including one from the War Front: Flashback to "Backflas... Read More
What 'Caws'es Us To Say 'Crowbar'? Jan. 16, 2019
Q. What's the origin of "crowbar"? — Al Cohen, Newington, Connecticut A. A crow, a robin and a... Read More
This 'Calling Card' Hasn't Expired Jan. 09, 2019
When a TV weather forecaster described a November blast of cold air as "winter's calling card," I wo... Read More
Sister, Teacher Jan. 02, 2019
Last month, I drove an hour east of Cleveland to Ashtabula, Ohio, where I grew up and where my young... Read More
Words That Go Bump in the Night Dec. 26, 2018
As a young graduate student, I once took a flight to Minneapolis that left LaGuardia Airport in New ... Read More
What Are the Rules for 'Fewer' and 'Less'? Dec. 19, 2018
My seventh-grade English teacher, Mrs. Morris, was a formidable and forthright woman. And when it ca... Read More
A Look Back at the Words of 2018 Dec. 12, 2018
My goodness, what a year we had, With mayhem, storms, and fires so bad. Our language seemed to fall ... Read More
Political Potshots Have Always Packed Punch Dec. 05, 2018
If you think today's political insults are nasty, consider these mud bombs hurled at Presidents Ulys... Read More
Good Folks Peppered With Salty Language Nov. 28, 2018
Q. Why do we call virtuous people "the salt of the earth?" — John S., West Hartford, Connectic... Read More
