The realm of nerdiness has been steadily expanding for years, with nerd culture taking over the world in the form of technology and pop culture. That makes this a good time to look at this insult turned compliment with a murky past and bright future.
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The realm of nerdiness has been steadily expanding for years, with nerd culture taking over the world in the form of technology and pop culture. That makes this a good time to look at this insult turned compliment with a murky past and bright future.
Continue reading...
March Madness ended on March 25, but the thrill of bracketology lives on: April Foolishness is in full swing, thanks to the long-running, much-anticipated Name of the Year (NOTY) contest.
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Article Topics:
Evasive Maneuvers
Euphemisms old and new
Size-inclusive Reinterpretations of Collective Cockamamie Coinages
April 6, 2018
When it comes to euphemisms, English is always full of high gusts and maximum mumbo jumbo.
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Article Topics:
Language Lounge
A Monthly Column for Word Lovers
Pride and Prejudice and Natural Language Processing
April 2, 2018
As I read Jane Austen, the question that is ever in the back of my mind is, how did she do it? Surprisingly, computers are quite helpful in providing answers.
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Article Topics:
Automatically create lists of vocabulary from any text
using the Visual Thesaurus VocabGrabber.
January 18th is celebrated as Thesaurus Day to honor the birthday of the author of the first thesaurus, Peter Mark Roget. Get into the spirit by reading our two-part interview with Roget biographer Joshua Kendall here and here. Also check out an ode to the thesaurus penned by Franklin P. Adams here and Johnny Carson's hilarious "Funeral for a Thesaurus Editor" sketch here.
On the first Monday in September, the United States observes Labor Day, while Canadians celebrate Labour Day. If you want to know why labour is the accepted spelling in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries like Canada, while Americans prefer labor (and color, favor, honor, humor, and neighbor), check out this classic Word Routes column by Ben Zimmer.
Article Topics:
For Whomst Does the Neologism Toll?
February 23, 2018
- 8 Comments
Here's a Non-Resolution That Could Change Your Writing Life
January 18, 2018
- 4 Comments
Come On, You Know the Euphemism of the Year
January 10, 2018
- 7 Comments
"Fake News" Is the Real Word of the Year
January 7, 2018
- 2 Comments
Bombology: Beyond the "Bomb Cyclone"
January 3, 2018
- 1 Comment
Brand Names of the Year for 2017
Click here to browse all the articles in our archive by date.
December 11, 2017
- 4 Comments
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RECENT COMMENTS FROM OUR SUBSCRIBERS
Size-inclusive Reinterpretations of Collective Cockamamie Coinages
Tom C. said,
"While I have no problem with people trying to find terms that don't alienate people or make them feel bad, like the cited 'curvy' and plus-size', I..."
- Wednesday April 11th, 4:12 AM
Dan F. said,
"Euphemisms for "problem" and "obstacle" are legion—and gag-worthy. "Headwinds" is a new one for me. The one that irritates me the most—I've whined..."
- Tuesday April 10th, 12:19 PM
Seth Lee Abrams said,
"Funny thing ... Just saw a TV commercial for lawnmowers in which a machine I would call ‘a lawnmower’ was referred to as a ‘walk-behind.’ I imagine..."
- Friday April 6th, 11:40 PM
Jay G. said,
"Euphemisms are designed to decieve. Wouldn't honest words be a better choice? Besides, beinng genuine would require much less learning of new terms..."
- Friday April 6th, 3:12 PM
Pride and Prejudice and Natural Language Processing
mike H. said,
"Orin, you are spot on as usual. My eyes did glaze over at the quoted passage. Not an unusual occurrence when faced Jane Austen's work. I find it very..."
- Monday April 2nd, 6:37 PM
Clarence W. said,
"As fate would have it, I read this two days after an event which puts me in a similar state as Marianne. The complexity of emotion since, and..."
- Monday April 2nd, 12:53 PM
Machine Translation Dreams
Richard W. said,
"Computers will get there eventually for two reasons. The first is that eventually someone will put more pragmatics behind machine translation, which..."
- Wednesday March 28th, 12:49 PM
Why Writers Should Walk More
bluefade said,
"Great advice! My problem is I hate the cold in Ohio, and I hate treadmills and the elliptical. I just retired and I've been very inactive this winter...."
- Tuesday March 27th, 8:03 AM
The Story of -o
ThomasK said,
"I just wondered whether there is another trend beneath the o-phenomenon: abbreviations. But of course in those cases the 'o' might be the most..."
- Monday March 26th, 11:56 AM
Why Writers Should Walk More
Daphne Gray-Grant said,
"I didn't realize that Stephen King was a walker! Thanks for sharing that fact, Melody. And with respect to the 10,000 steps issue, Stanley, you might..."
- Tuesday March 20th, 1:10 PM
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Stage Directions: the Vocabulary of Theatrical Delivery
November 1, 2013
How can interpreting the language of stage directions enhance students' comprehension of drama?
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