

Evasive Maneuvers
Euphemisms old and new
Engaged, Vintage, Deleted Drivel, Begob!

Here are some of the euphemisms I've scraped, like barnacles, off the bloated boat of language. Do not attempt such hazardous, horsepucky-adjacent collection yourself.
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Language Lounge
A Monthly Column for Word Lovers
Teach Your Children Well

What happened (and is apparently still happening) in English-speaking societies that results in so much discourse about the problems in education?
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Word Count
Writers Talk About Writing
How to Bolster Your Long-term Motivation for Writing

Finishing a long-term project depends on persistence and stick-to-itiveness. Here are two big solutions to the long-term motivation problem.
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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.
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The Year of "Tender Age"
January 7, 2019
- 2 Comments
"Talk on the Wild Side" Is a Sharp Ode to Our Unruly, Resilient Language
December 21, 2018
- 1 Comment
Work-Life Malarkey in the Entrepreneurial Economy
November 7, 2018
- 3 Comments
"Humans and Robots Do Not Communicate Well"
November 1, 2018
By the Light of the Moonmoon: The Joy of Reduplication
October 31, 2018
- 3 Comments
A Decade of Drivel: Happy Column-versary to Me
Click here to browse all the articles in our archive by date.
October 10, 2018
- 5 Comments

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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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