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Rhymes of the Ancient Mariners Jan. 11, 2023
How do we know that English speakers once pronounced "none" as "known"? You'll find the answer on th... Read More
Earn Your Chops and You'll Get Props Nov. 10, 2021
A reader writes, "In the newspaper I keep seeing sentences like 'So-and-so showed his acting chops i... Read More
Is Converting Adjectives to Nouns an Automatic? Jun. 09, 2021
The linguistic purist Tradition Al discusses an alarming trend with his more permissive friend Open ... Read More
Nothing is Perma'meant' but Change Apr. 28, 2021
We tend to think of words as immutable objects — solid rocks we fit together to construct the ... Read More
Volcanic Anticipation Apr. 21, 2021
As Shakespeare wrote, "the course of true love never did run smooth." While today it will seem even ... Read More
Summer Rage: America Burning Inside and Out Sep. 16, 2020
As sure as sunflowers fade fast, America's summer of burn is counting days to a close. Autumn arrive... Read More
A Bucket List Itinerary of Places We'll Never Go Jun. 20, 2020
By Victor Block As a travel journalist who has visited and written about close to 80 countries, the ... Read More
'Gregarious' and 'Ruminate' Share Beastly Origins Jun. 10, 2020
Whenever a minister speaks of a congregation as a "flock" — the last time this happened, by th... Read More
Trump Takes Over the Virtual Public Square Apr. 22, 2020
The pandemic means President Donald Trump has people where he wants them: at home watching him on te... Read More
Shakespeare As You Like It Mar. 20, 2020
Q: This is a photo of a small leather-bound book titled "The Globe Edition: The Works of William Sha... Read More
Whistle(blow) While You Work Oct. 30, 2019
Pity the poor word "whistleblower." Like the intrepid human it denotes, this term has endured a long... Read More
'All Is True': Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen - Three Great Shakespeareans - in a Glowing Tribute to Shakespeare Himself May. 10, 2019
You know you're watching a different kind of Shakespeare movie when it begins with the great man's L... Read More
Shakespeare Reduced to Rant, Teaching Moment Lost Jun. 23, 2017
Julius Caesar is dead (again). Long live "Julius Caesar." Whether the famous dead Roman is a lookali... Read More
Student Loans Jun. 29, 2016
Dear Mr. Berko: Our beautiful 27-year-old son, who started school in 2008, owes $87,000 in student l... Read More
Students Are the Real Victims of Censorship Sep. 24, 2015
The 2015-16 academic year has opened with a predictable collection of demands for banning certain vi... Read More
All the World's a Stage -- Even San Quentin May. 31, 2015
Julius Caesar lay dead. The senators who took his life stood dumbstruck, faced with the foul deed th... Read More
Free Range
Jul. 28, 2014
For the Bard's Birthday: Seeing His Work Anew May. 02, 2014
WASHINGTON — As April washes into May, the Bard's the thing here; his dulcet lines practically... Read More
Strange Brew
Feb. 20, 2014
