Here are the three questions you should ask yourself to find out if self-publishing is right for you.
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Here are the three questions you should ask yourself to find out if self-publishing is right for you.
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Like many four-letter words, poll is versatile. Where did it come from, and how did it come to be associated with voting?
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Watch out — there's a new candidate for Euphemism of the Year! And this one just might be one of the sneakiest snakes.
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Language Lounge
A Monthly Column for Word Lovers
A Recipe for Time Travel
October 6, 2020
I was delighted to learn recently of The Sifter - A Food History Research Tool, which is a gigantic online database of historical cookbooks. What I've been doing in The Sifter initially is a kind of time travel via language.
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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.
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How to Let Go of the 'Sorry' Cycle and Begin Again
July 23, 2020
- 3 Comments
Dreaming of Warm Lines and Patriot Pay
July 9, 2020
- 3 Comments
Finding Distraction in the Historical Dictionary of American Slang
June 10, 2020
- 4 Comments
Why Do the Best Writers Have the Most Emotional Intelligence?
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May 27, 2020
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RECENT COMMENTS FROM OUR SUBSCRIBERS
Hokum in the Vault of Hope
Ellen M. said,
"Love bohunkus, which will join hokum in my personal dictionary. If you think freedom has been badly misused, try equality and justice (especially the..."
- Tuesday October 27th, 6:27 PM
Arlene T. said,
"Naming is power. We need to coin a name for those unmasked, pandemic-prolonging Covid-19 virus spreaders who gather with others like them and spread..."
- Tuesday October 27th, 9:38 AM
Elizabeth M. said,
"Thanks for the smiles,, and the Day of Hope is a great idea."
- Saturday October 24th, 3:03 PM
Peggy H. said,
"Gotch could be a play on Yiddish GOTKES, meaning long johns or warm winter underwear. PH, Potomac, MD"
- Thursday October 22nd, 4:19 PM
E H. said,
"Bohunkus is a great word, thank you for bringing it to my attention. To me it sounds like one of those words that can mean anything depending only on..."
- Sunday October 18th, 10:37 AM
A Recipe for Time Travel
David C. said,
"Thanks, Orin, for sharing. The turpentine treatment shows our heritage includes poisoners. Should we disavow our past and throw out the cookbooks. Or,..."
- Monday October 12th, 10:54 AM
Hotse L. said,
"What a wonderful and unexpected commentary on the seemingly unrelated themes of cookbooks and time-travel. I collect books and manuscripts, preferably..."
- Saturday October 10th, 6:25 PM
Orin Hargraves said,
"Thanks, Jan. I am the worst proofreader of my own writing!"
- Tuesday October 6th, 8:15 PM
Jan S. said,
"A nice window into the past, Orin. But you don't make due; you make do. (If you're a cool summer morning, you make dew.)"
- Tuesday October 6th, 4:12 PM
Why You Should Consider Back-And-Forth Writing
Daphne Gray-Grant said,
"Thanks for the comments! I'm also a big fan of deBono, William! In fact, I even attended a thinking hats workshop many years ago and I still have a..."
- Monday September 28th, 7:42 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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