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New Books About Language Bring Holiday Cheer Nov. 25, 2020
During this pandemic-punctured holiday season, why not brighten the lives of your friends and family... Read More
Do You Know the 'Bear' Facts of Usage? Nov. 18, 2020
Who said fairy tales were simple? See whether you can choose the correct words on this quiz about Go... Read More
The Stuttering Foundation Has Wonderful Resources Nov. 07, 2020
DR. WALLACE: I have a child who is suffering from stuttering, and my husband and I are doing all we ... Read More
This Quiz Might Require a P'h.'D. Nov. 04, 2020
It's "H" Hour! Can you choose the correct derivation for each word beginning with "h"? 1) Harbinger:... Read More
Getting the Better of Bete Noires Oct. 28, 2020
We all encounter recurring questions about grammar, usage, punctuation or spelling that bedevil us e... Read More
It's the Law Oct. 28, 2020
A fascinating law was passed in Louisiana in 1999 requiring students from kindergarten through fifth... Read More
This Boss 'Strived' To Be a Regular Guy Oct. 21, 2020
Q. "My boss insisted on using the word 'strived' in a letter he wrote to an important client. I rese... Read More
Voulez-Vous Help Your Brain? Oct. 09, 2020
I live in South Florida, which is frequently referred to as the home of the silver tsunami. This phr... Read More
Studying History on Its Own Terms Oct. 07, 2020
"The British are coming! The British are coming!" Ah, how Paul Revere's historic call to arms still ... Read More
Language and Thought Sep. 23, 2020
Seventeenth-century poet and intellect John Milton predicted, "When language in common use in any co... Read More
'Cisgender' Has Roots in Latin, Biochemistry Sep. 23, 2020
Several readers have asked me about the meaning, origin and use of "cisgender," an adjective for a p... Read More
Me and Cardi B Sep. 18, 2020
I wish to remark, and my language is plain, that I have said far filthier things than Cardi B has ev... Read More
'Ghost Words' Still Haunt Our Language Sep. 09, 2020
We throw our "suitcases" and other "luggage" into the "trunks" of our cars. But those "suitcases" pr... Read More
'Epic,' 'Heroic,' 'Patriots': Words We Have Abused Into Meaninglessness Sep. 08, 2020
I advise my students to avoid starting their papers with hackneyed platitudes — "Most historia... Read More
From Prison to Purge: The Linguistic Origins of 'Cancel Culture' Sep. 02, 2020
The term "cancel culture" has been batted around like a volleyball during the past few weeks. It ref... Read More
And Now a Few Words From Our Sponsor Aug. 26, 2020
"God sees everything," says George Wilson, the disconsolate husband in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "... Read More
Links to Slavery and Racism Taint Many Terms Aug. 19, 2020
In the wake of George Floyd's death and the reinvigoration of the Black Lives Matter movement, words... Read More
And Now for Some Literary 'Critter'cism Aug. 12, 2020
Edith Frankel of Hannawa Falls, New York, sent me this sentence from Science News: "An array of crit... Read More
This Question Comes Up 'Biannually' Aug. 05, 2020
Q: I was taught that a biannual event occurred every other year. Now it seems "biannual" is being us... Read More
Do Brainstorms Cause Thunder and Enlightening? Jul. 29, 2020
We've all been there. You and your colleagues are brainstorming during a Zoom session, shouting out ... Read More
