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The Words You Use Create the Person You Will Be May. 23, 2025
If you haven't read George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece "1984," read it. If you have read it, read... Read More
How to Scratch the Itch that Sabotages your Success May. 02, 2025
What would you consider life's greatest pleasure? The possibilities are endless. Obvious candidates ... Read More
What's in a Name? Sometimes, Nothing at All Apr. 11, 2025
In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm going public with a humiliating confession. In "Harry Potter a... Read More
New Medical Terms to Learn, and Too Much Jargon Oct. 13, 2023
A recent Forbes post by Dr. Sachin H. Jain caught my eye. It was about jargon, those often head-scra... Read More
Language Snoopers Nab the Bloopers Mar. 22, 2023
Eagle-eyed readers have sent me these mistakes from newspapers and magazines. Can you spot the blots... Read More
It's Time to Knock 'Would' Jan. 18, 2023
Q: Why do so many people say, "If I would have known" instead of the simpler "If I had known"? ̵... Read More
Phrase Origins? Let's Cut to the Chase! Oct. 26, 2022
Let's see how many readers' questions about word origins I can answer in 90 seconds! No. 1: "The who... 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
'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
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
Linguistic Changes Foster Respect, Inclusion Aug. 18, 2021
Spinster. Gypped. Grandfather clause. These are among many terms now deemed racist, sexist, ageist o... Read More
Night of the Living Deadbeat Aug. 11, 2021
I recently applied for a refinance of my home mortgage. You know the drill: Scour your files to find... Read More
Dealing with Wine Snobs Aug. 03, 2021
Ever encounter a wine snob? I have — far too often, alas. And dealing with wine snobs is an ar... Read More
Pet Peeves Pounce on Prancing Prey Jul. 07, 2021
I occasionally ask readers to unleash their pet peeves about grammar and usage. While at first, thes... Read More
Where Never Is 'Herd' a Discouraging Word May. 12, 2021
This spring, we've all been stampeding like panicky buffalo toward herd immunity. But what is it? Wi... Read More
Wordcestery.com -- Which Words Share a Common Lineage? Jan. 13, 2021
Is "spray," meaning "an arrangement of flowers," related to "spray," meaning "particles of water"? B... Read More
Keeping Up With Peter and Lazy Susan Jones Dec. 23, 2020
Did the expression "peter out" begin with a guy named "Peter"? Who are those Joneses we're always ke... Read More
