June Ends (and so did May)
Anatoly Liberman chronicles the development of the “American variety of English” from its colonial origins through today.
Anatoly Liberman chronicles the development of the “American variety of English” from its colonial origins through today.
Jeff Prucher looks at words coined by science fiction and fantasy fans.
Anatoly’s monthly gleanings.
This week is the twelfth instalment of our ‘Word Window’ series, in which we present some of the Oxford English Dictionary’s more remarkable words. Last week, we discussed the triple meaning of ‘Big Apple’. This week we have chosen a rather mysterious term; ‘Cruciverbalist’…
The 11th Star Trek film is opening this Friday, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve already bought my ticket. It’s a reboot of the original, meaning more James Tiberius Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the gang. It’s enough to make me jump up and down in excitement – and not just for terminology.
We are now in week four of our ‘Word Window’ series, in which we display an Oxford Word of the Week, in the windows of our New York Offices. Last week’s word was: ‘Rashomon’ n.: ‘Designating something resembling or suggestive of the film Rashomon.’ This week’s word is ‘Mondegreen’…
Anatoly’s second installment of January gleanings.
‘Damp Squid’ author Jeremy Butterfield on eggcorns and words we love to hate.
Do you keep the tires on your car properly inflated to maximize your gas mileage? Have you removed the roof rack to streamline the car and reduce drag? Do you turn your engine off rather than idle at long stoplights? If you said yes to any of these questions you just might be a ‘hypermiler’.
Anatoly Liberman answers questions based on last month’s posts.
Anatoly looks at features of Indo-European languages.
Anatoly Liberman looks at the use of the split infinitive.
Anatoly Liberman relates his adventures with plurals.
Anatoly Liberman recounts the times when phonetics were used to determine the death, expulsion or release of a group of people, and takes a closer at the development of homonyms.
You don’t have to be an MD or a sick puppy to appreciate the enormous family of humorous medical terms, including ‘peanut butter balls’ (phenobarbitol), ‘horrendoplasty’ (an operation without a sunny forecast), or ‘duck’s disease’ (‘being short’, so-named for the non-NBA-ready stature of quackers).
David Crystal tells us that txtng is nothing worry about