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New Books on Language Bring Holiday Cheer Nov. 21, 2018
There's no place like tome for the holidays. These new books will delight the word-lovers on your sh... Read More
Linguistic Disputes Can Pack a Punch Nov. 14, 2018
Heated controversies over proper usage can lead to food fights at faculty clubs and fisticuffs on co... Read More
These Tools Have Fascinating 'Handles' Nov. 07, 2018
During college, I spent an entire summer with a lute in my hands. No, I wasn't strumming medieval ma... Read More
Subject and Verb Beg to Disagree Oct. 31, 2018
Q: The lead sentence in a newspaper story stated, "A string of recent announcements promising jobs a... Read More
Language Pitches Some Learning Curves Oct. 24, 2018
Some random dispatches from the Word Front: — Listen and Learn. The recent confirmation hearin... Read More
Are Business Buzzwords on Your Radar? Oct. 10, 2018
Let's play Jargon Jumble! Fill in each blank in the following sentences with the best choice from th... Read More
Me, Myself and I Sep. 26, 2018
In a eulogy honoring Sen. John McCain, former President Barack Obama speculated as to why McCain had... Read More
English Pet Peeves Jan. 13, 2018
Dear Annie: I considered myself an average student after graduating high school in 1970, and I have ... Read More
Medtronic, Si or No? Nov. 15, 2017
Dear Mr. Berko: I'm writing for a 46-year-old friend of mine who escaped Cuba and came to the U.S. i... Read More
Miss Austen Still Rules -- and Gives Fresh Air to Washington Jul. 21, 2017
WASHINGTON — High July 2017 is a watermark for Jane Austen, who died in her sister's arms 200 ... Read More
Knuckle Draggers Are Us, Er, We Oct. 08, 2015
The smart folk at Grammarly — an online grammar checker — examined Facebook posts writte... Read More
Indian History Books Telling Hindu Nationalist Fairy Tales Jul. 31, 2014
According to the latest history books being ordered by the government of the Indian state of Gujarat... Read More
Agnes
Jul. 22, 2014
Political Language, Not Watergate, to Blame for Public Distrust of Government Jul. 11, 2014
In his weekly column for CNN.com, Julian Zelizer makes a reasonable case that "Distrustful Americans... Read More
A Primer on Race Jul. 08, 2014
Back in the heyday of the British Empire, a man from one of the colonies addressed a London audience... Read More
I.O.U. an Explanation of I.E. Jun. 25, 2014
Q: One linguistic usage that always throws me for a loop is whether to use "i.e." or "e.g." to cite ... Read More
For Whom the 'Tell' Tolls Jun. 18, 2014
While grading a student's paper the other day, I came across this sentence: "The cost of the U.S. In... Read More
Petty Annoyances Jun. 04, 2014
Most who read my columns think that I'm only annoyed by politicians, growing government and American... Read More
Flo & Friends
May. 29, 2014
Laws Were Made to Be Spoken May. 14, 2014
What do you call a lawyer who writes a book about words? A grammar-head shark. Just kidding. In "La... Read More
