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Word Court Renders Split Decisions Aug. 24, 2022
Larry Brautigam of Berlin, Connecticut, was watching the banter of some TV pundits when he suddenly ... Read More
There's No Beast in These Beauties Aug. 17, 2022
The "fish" in "crayfish" has nothing to do with fish. There's no pig in "piggyback," and no cat snoo... Read More
Is There a Fossil on Your Tongue? Aug. 10, 2022
Have you ever wondered why "bravado" means a FALSE sense of courage? "Bravado" is a linguistic fossi... Read More
How Well Will You (Fair, Fare) on This Quiz? Aug. 03, 2022
Can you make the correct choice between these often-confused pairs of words? No. 1: When we're writi... Read More
In Washington, Honesty Is Such a Lonely Word Aug. 03, 2022
A favorite game of politicians, when reality does not conform to the facts they want, is to simply r... Read More
'Primrose' Path Leads to 'Buttery' Slope Jul. 27, 2022
Did you know there's no "linger" in "malinger," no "butter" in "buttery" and no "rose" in "primrose"... Read More
Future of Dictionaries Is Looking Up Jul. 20, 2022
Dictionaries are facing what might be called a "defining moment." After all, of what use are these c... Read More
Can You Spot the Dirty Dozen? Jul. 13, 2022
Members of the ever-vigilant Word Guy Blooper Patrol have nabbed a dozen verbal culprits in newspape... Read More
Shifting Letters Create Whole 'Nother' Words Jul. 06, 2022
In English, what you say is often what you get. During the 1300s, for instance, a protective cloth w... Read More
The New Words We Need Now Jun. 30, 2022
In 1879, when dropout-turned-linguistic genius James Murray was assembling the Oxford English Dictio... Read More
The Last Name I'll Ever Have Jun. 29, 2022
Several readers have recently inquired about the pronunciation and origin of my last name. So, I fig... Read More
Our Declaration of Linguistic Independence Jun. 22, 2022
When in the course of human events it became necessary for Americans to write a Declaration of Indep... Read More
Old Words for New Wizardry Jun. 08, 2022
"Class, please use your stylus to write the correct answer on your tablet." Are these instructions f... Read More
Bank Goes on a 'Power' Trip Jun. 01, 2022
Today, some random dispatches from the Word Front... —Power Play — "What would you like ... Read More
English Shows Off Nerves of 'Steal' May. 25, 2022
The English language is a great thief. Like an out-of-control kleptomaniac, our Mother Tongue has ra... Read More
It's Time To 'Book' Your Summer Vacation May. 18, 2022
If you're shipping out for summer, consider toting one of these new books about language aboard. The... Read More
This Comma Quiz Will Give You Pause May. 11, 2022
"The fewer commas you use," Nicholas Baker once wrote, "the more of a tyrant you would be if placed ... Read More
I Know Where You're Coming From May. 04, 2022
A Chicagoan who had just moved to Tennessee was washing his car with a garden hose when his neighbor... Read More
A Cheat Sheet on Linguistic 'Adult'ery Apr. 27, 2022
When Groucho Marx once asked a female contestant on his TV show, "You Bet Your Life," to describe he... Read More
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
