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English and I -- or Maybe Me Apr. 18, 2025
I have no facility with languages. I'm incoherent in Latin, French, Spanish and, far too often, in E... Read More
All Human Thought: Pre-AI Addition Mar. 28, 2025
In college, before becoming an English major — and therefore borderline unemployable —I ... Read More
'Official English' Is Tone-Deaf to Rhythms of a Multicultural America Mar. 11, 2025
SAN DIEGO — President Donald Trump is a shameless cultural warrior who pits citizens against o... Read More
My Foreign Friends Dec. 06, 2024
When I was a high school kid in Missouri, around 1972 or so, there were people in our town who used ... Read More
The Government Denies People Access to Asylum Because of Language Barriers Apr. 22, 2024
Rights & Resistance with the ACLU
Every year, thousands of asylum seekers from diverse corners of the world seek refuge in the United ... Read More
Will Barbie Be a Nervous Nellie at the Oscars? Feb. 28, 2024
Why is the doll (and movie) called "Barbie"? Why is Nellie nervous, and why is a statuette named Osc... Read More
Migrant Surge a Disaster For Learning Sep. 13, 2023
Democratic politicians and the liberal media made the first day of school all about welcoming migran... 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
Where Never Is 'Herd' a Discouraging Word Apr. 13, 2022
We all know that a gathering of geese is a "gaggle," a passel of fish is a "school," and a herd of s... Read More
Origin of 'Burner Phone' Is One Hot Topic Apr. 06, 2022
The Jan. 6 Congressional Committee is currently investigating a burning issue: Did former President ... Read More
Let's Sit Down for a Spell Mar. 30, 2022
"One false spelling may fix a stigma upon a man for life," wrote the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield in ... Read More
When Choosing Classical Plurals, Caveat Errata! Mar. 23, 2022
Howard Goldberg of West Hartford, Connecticut, poses this plural puzzler: What's the Latin singular ... Read More
'Take' This Rule to Heart Mar. 09, 2022
Q: Please explain the difference between "bring" and "take." — Paul Johnson, Minneapolis A: In... Read More
'Round-Robin' Is Based on Circular Reasoning Mar. 02, 2022
Why is a tournament in which every contestant plays every other in succession called a "round-robin"... Read More
Let's Jettison Excess 'Ton'nage Feb. 23, 2022
Today, some random dispatches from the Word Front... — 2,000 Pound Gorilla — A recent in... Read More
Is 'False Flag' a Linguistic 'Fabric'ation? Feb. 16, 2022
The term "false flag operation" has been flying frequently during the past few years, most recently ... Read More
Two-Faced Words Prompt Double Takes Feb. 09, 2022
"Flores Drops Bombshell Lawsuit" "Gov. Newsom Pitches Plan To Reopen Public Schools" "Red Tape Holds... Read More
Midnight Cowboy Shows Up at High Noon Feb. 02, 2022
Q: What's the proper use of "a.m." or "p.m." for 12 noon and 12 midnight? — Bertha Williams, S... Read More
