A case recently argued before the US Supreme Court — by telephone! — teaches us a lot about trademarks, generic terms, and domain names.  Continue reading...

Even in horrible times, you can always count on euphemisms. Evasive language never takes a day off.  Continue reading...

Do the profound insights made by J. L. Austin and Paul Grice have any application to "conversations" in which the traffic in words is by definition all or nearly all one-way?  Continue reading...

Quick! What's the first noun that comes to your mind if you want to characterize a regional accent? This month the Loungeurs examine the evidence surrounding the use of words that denote various accents. We conclude that there is probably room for some semantic fine tuning.  Continue reading...

This month we're investigating a chameleon-like feature of language called the loan translation, or if you prefer, the calque. No passport required, but be prepared to mingle with some French and Spanish ancestors.  Continue reading...

Do animals get a fair shake in language? Bring along your cattle prod, whip, and lasso this month to the Language Lounge as we explore the Visual Thesaurus and follow boldly in the footsteps of our ancestors in making sure that mankind reigns supreme.  Continue reading...