Seeing red
The history of color names presents countless problems, and the literature on the subject is enormous. Today’s post is only about some curious uses of the word red in English.
Learn about telic and atelic predicates
Recently, I went to a talk on telicity in verbs. If the term is unfamiliar to you, you are not alone.
Aftermath and its kin
My story today is about several words referring to aftermath. All of them have a rather confusing sound shape.
Unbuttoned: an interactive history of the suit
To the modern eye, this man in his dark suit probably looks perfectly normal—perhaps even boring. But what if this ubiquitous uniform is actually one of the most powerful and heavily engineered political institutions in Western history?
Interdisciplinary horizons in human–animal studies
Over the last few decades, scholarship in the arts has undergone a significant shift towards questions and topics related to animals and our relationships with them.
Over 500 open access books: shaped by experience, strengthened by learning
When a collection passes 500 titles, it’s tempting to focus on the milestone. But what’s more interesting is the story behind the number, the years of collaboration between authors, editors, institutions, funders, and readers who share a commitment to making scholarship easier to discover, read, teach, and build upon.
In and out of the box
Today’s story is about boxing (that is, about the word box).
Spelling bee is back. So am I
Spelling Bee is back.
Restive people never rest
Some parts of the story I am going to tell can be found in most dictionaries, but it is the attempts to connect a few distant dots that may be interesting to those who wonder “where words come from.”
Is there an L in both?
My grandmother was one of those speakers who had an “r” in the word wash, pronouncing it “warsh”. For her, the nation’s capital was “Warshington”, D.C., and the vegetable was a “squarsh.”
Much hubbub about very little
Soon after the blog Oxford Etymologist came into existence on March 5, 2006 (more than twenty years ago!), I wrote a post on the word hubba-hubba.
Music therapy musicianship: a call for change
The following is offered as a manifesto: a bold assertion of our unique musicianship. We – music therapists – are different from performers and educators.
Think before you tan: why sun awareness matters
Sun Awareness Week (11-17 May 2026) is the British Association of Dermatologists’ (BAD) annual week-long campaign dedicated to raising awareness of the public health risk of sun exposure, from traditional tanning to sunbed use.
Why recovery after a hip fracture is about more than bones
For many older adults, a hip fracture arrives without warning, suddenly changing the course of daily life.
Pen to Paper with Peter Mancall
Writing a volume for the Oxford History of the United States is an exercise in both synthesis and ambition. The series has long set the standard for American historical writing, and to join it is to enter a multigenerational conversation about how the story of the nation’s past should be told.
Pen to paper with Jonathan Parshall
Jon Parshall has spent his career asking big questions about how wars are remembered, argued over, and ultimately understood.