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Now in the field with a fieldfare

By Anatoly Liberman

Last week, I wrote about the troublesome origin of heifer. The oldest recorded form of heifer is HEAHFORE. I promised to return to the equally enigmatic- fore. I even wrote that perhaps the etymology of the bird name “fieldfare” would throw additional light on heifer. Birds often follow herds of cattle for sustenance, so that my idea is, on the face of it, not unreasonable. Just for those who may be not quite sure what bird a fieldfare is, let me explain: it is a thrush.

Earth’s wild years: the creative destruction of cosmic encounters

By Simone Marchi

We earthlings enjoy the spectacle of shooting stars, small fragments of asteroids and comets that burn in sudden flashes upon entry in the Earth’s atmosphere. The largest of these fragments pose a limited threat to us as their mid-air blasts can produce local damage to buildings and infrastructures. Larger events are increasingly rarer, but their consequences can be devastating on a global scale.

Duelling Grounds

Seven new books on musical theater: from Hamilton to Oklahoma! [reading list]

By OUP Music

Whether you’re new to the stage or eagerly counting down the days until the curtains lift, explore some of our recent titles looking behind the scenes of musical theater.

Still plowing with my heifer

By Anatoly Liberman

Twenty-five years ago, quite by chance, I looked up the etymology of heifer in a dictionary and discovered the statement: “Origin unknown.” Other dictionaries were not much more informative, and I decided to pursue the subject. Thanks to this chance episode, etymology became my profession.

The Making of a Terrorist

Thirteen new French history books [reading list]

By OUP History

Bastille Day is a French national holiday, marking the storming of the Bastille—a military fortress and prison—on 14 July 1789, in an uprising that helped usher in the French Revolution. In the lead up to the anniversary of Bastille day, we’re sharing some of the latest French history titles, for you to explore, share, and enjoy. We have also granted free access to selected chapters, for a limited time, for you to dip into.

Journal of the European Economic Association

Should we be worried about robots taking our jobs? The answer depends on labor market institutions

By Jens Suedekum, Sebastian Findeisen, Wolfgang Dauth, and Nicole Woessner

Do new technologies, such as robots, destroy jobs and cause mass unemployment? Many current and past commentators have forcefully made this point in the public debate, but new research published in the Journal of the European Economic Association suggests that “technological mass unemployment” is indeed not something we should worry about.

The Shock of America

The rise and fall of the European Super League: when the American challenge backfires

By David Ellwood

In the long history of America’s influence on the politics of innovation in Europe, the case of the planned football Super League stands out. This is not because of the project as such, but simply because, of all the variety of responses Europe has produced when faced with the latest American novelty, none has provoked enthusiasm and rejection—above all rejection—with such extraordinary intensity, unity, and speed.

Athens After Empire

Archaeology, architecture, and “Romanizing” Athens

By Ian Worthington

The question of whether Athens was a Greek or Roman city seems straightforward, but among scholars there is some debate.

Monthly gleanings for May 2021: yesterday, tomorrow, and time concepts

By Anatoly Liberman

A curious exchange on the word “harebrained” in the periodical Notes and Queries in the first half of 1880 began with the statement that the word owes its origin to the idiom “as mad as a march hare.” But are hares “madder” than other wild animals? Probably not.

Business and Management, Oxford Research Encylopedias

Experiential learning: current contributions and future trends in practice

By Anna B. Kayes and D. Christopher Kayes

Nearly 40 years after the publication of David Kolb’s 1984 book, “Experiential Learning: Learning as the source of learning and development,” experiential learning remains one of the most influential theories of learning in management education.

Cambridge Journal of Economics

Inequality and economics: let’s go back to Adam Smith

By Benoît Walraevens

Although the issue of economic inequality has long been neglected by economists, it has become increasingly important in academic and public debate over the past decade. International institutions long considered pro-liberal, such as the OECD and the IMF, are now openly calling on governments to take redistributive and tax justice measures to enable more inclusive and equitable growth.

Me, you, Europe, the Universe: recovery and revival at the 65th Eurovision Song Contest 2021

By Philip V. Bohlman

Already during the initial spread of the coronavirus pandemic during the early months of 2020, when the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest determined the world’s largest and most extravagant musical competition could not take place in May, plans were underway for its return a year later, on 22 May, 2021 in Rotterdam. The intervening year was one of introspection.

Eric Partridge and the etymology of slang (part two)

By Anatoly Liberman

Eric Partridge is deservedly famous among word lovers. His main area of expertise was substandard English, that is, slang and cant. In this blog post, the Oxford Etymologist offers a tribute to an indefatigable word hunter and a great expert in the field that interests many people.

Reconstructing the Dreamland

100 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre

By Randall Kennedy

On 1 June 1921, mobs comprised of ordinary white Oklahomans destroyed Greenwood, a black neighborhood in Tulsa sometimes referred to as “Little Africa.” The rioters proceeded to subject their African American neighbors to injury, murder, looting, pillaging, and arson. At least a hundred residents of Greenwood were killed while thirty-five city blocks were torched, destroying churches, businesses, and all sorts of other dwellings. The riot rendered more than a thousand families homeless.

Nicotine & Tobacco Research

Success of Ontario menthol cigarette ban: more menthol smokers quit tobacco

By Michael Chaiton and Anasua Kundu

Recently, the (FDA has expressed intention of banning menthol among tobacco products—a move that could have enormous impact on health in US and in particular on reducing the disparity of health faced by Black Americans. The province of Ontario, Canada implemented a ban on menthol-flavoured tobacco products in January 2017, before a nation-wide menthol ban on October 2017.

The British Journal of Social Work

Can children’s rights be the scaffold for love in the care system?

By Mariela Neagu

A human rights approach places children’s dignity (and their voice) at the heart of the care system. Ensuring that carers and professionals engage with children in a meaningful way is the cornerstone for a system based on ethics of care and children’s rights.