http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/?utm_source=rss A Monthly Column for Word Lovers Copyright 2009, Thinkmap Inc. All Rights Reserved. en Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.visualthesaurus.com/images/common/logo_on_white.gif http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/?utm_source=rss Search for a word in the Visual Thesaurus word http://www.visualthesaurus.com Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/2051?utm_source=rss At a scenic dropoff near the Lounge, whereunder flows the mighty torrent of English, we have lookouts posted whose job is to spot trends. Recently they have reported back on instances of a certain class of words that are ready for a closeup: a handful of nouns formed by fusing the two parts of a phrasal verb. Such words are legion in English (setback, breakdown, frameup, washout, etc.) but we lack a handy term to designate them: snaptos? pairups? glueons? In any case, this month's Lounge is a rundown of our lookouts' pickups. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/2051 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/2004?utm_source=rss A rose by any other name is . . . possibly hex FF E4 E1 or decimal 255 228 225. This month in the Lounge we look at the business and the pleasure of color names in English. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/2004 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1969?utm_source=rss The Language Lounge removed to the Netherlands for a short break last month, with the specific mission of observing several of the various putative Dutch contributions to English on their native soil: Dutch courage, Dutch uncles, Dutch ovens, Dutch auctions, Dutch doors, Dutch hoes, and Dutch treats, to name a few. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1969 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1935?utm_source=rss In high school we studied a poem by Robert Frost called "Design." It deposited enduring fragments that echo in our mind from time to time, and recently we spent a quiet afternoon in the Poetry Corner of the Lounge to revisit the poem. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1935 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1904?utm_source=rss As a remedy for the summer doldrums, the Loungeurs have taken up deep questions this month: space, time, space-time, and language. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1904 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1869?utm_source=rss We left off last month (http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1836/) on the horns of the dictionary publishers' dilemma: how do you keep a flagship title in print when it costs far more to produce it than it will ever generate in sales? We noted the lure of electronic licensing rights as a factor that might influence the way dictionaries are put together and marketed in the future; and we heard from a few readers who, not unpredictably, lamented any future in which dictionaries in book form were not available. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1869 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1836?utm_source=rss Have you browsed through a dictionary (the kind printed on paper) lately? If you have, the publishers of it are probably glad you did, while being aware that you may be part of a dying breed. This month the Lounge is the first of a two-parter examining some implications of dictionary-making in the digital age. Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1836 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1802?utm_source=rss This month in the Lounge we examine the implications of a silent but deadly usurpation of the language of the People, brought to light by an intellectual property court case. Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1802 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1746?utm_source=rss Some recent cases of American dialect creep raised hackles among readers of a British newspaper; we examine the phenomenon this month in the Lounge. Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1746 Language Lounge http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1686?utm_source=rss Is a picture worth a thousand words? Possibly, but if your job is to assign words to pictures, it would be good if you could reduce that number a bit, and perhaps focus on quality rather than quantity. This month in the Lounge we've been thinking about the relationship between words and pictures, while in recovery from a brief addiction to Google Image Labeler. Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/ll/1686