Compounding Carbon Confusion
Ben Zimmer examines carbon compounds.
Monthly Gleanings: (July 2007)
Anatoly answers this month’s questions.
A Poptastic Geekfest for Infoholics
Ben Zimmer looks at how we combine words to make new words.
Break – Broke – Broken
Even a quick look at the history of words meaning “break” shows how often they begin with the sound group br-. Break has cognates in several Germanic languages. The main Old Scandinavian verb was different (compare Modern Swedish bryta, Norwegian bryte, and so forth), but it, too, began with br-.
Shifting Idioms: An Eggcornucopia
In our last instalment, I noted that the increasingly common spelling of minuscule as miniscule is not just your average typographical error; it makes sense in a new way, since the respelling brings the word into line with ‘miniature’, ‘minimum’, and a whole host of tiny terms using the mini prefix.
Does the Cock Neigh?
Anatoly looks at the origin of the word cockney.
Tracking the Most Miniscule, Uh, Minuscule of Errors
Ben Zimmer looks at how non-standard spellings become accepted.
There Are More Ways Than One To Be Mad
Anatoly is feeling a bit “mad” this week.
On the Front Lines of English, from “Thirdhand Smoke” to “Newsrotica”
Ben Zimmer starts off his new column by looking at words like “Thirdhand Smoke” and “Newsrotica.”
Etymological Embarrassables
Anatoly looks at confusables.
It’s Coming…
An A To Zimmer Introduction
Casper Grathwohl, Reference Publisher for OUP-USA and the Academic Division in Oxford, introduces our newest blog column.
The Curmudgeon and the Catawampus
Anatoly weighs in on curmudgeon and catawampus.
On Faggots & Pimps
Anatoly weighs in on pimps and faggots.
On Pimps and Faggots
Anatoly looks at where pimps and faggots come together.
Monthly Gleanings: May 2007
Anatoly reflects on his work in the past month.
Form an orderly queue, chaps: A quick guide to British English
The UK Early Bird gives a lighthearted guide to British English.