We'll all be doing each other a great favor by paying most of our attention to the substance of what others say, and the least of our attention to the way they say it.  Continue reading...

Caremongering? Quarantini? Zoom-bombing? The COVID-19 pandemic has already inspired its own lexicon of coined words.  Continue reading...

Have you ever used an expression like, "experience is the very best teacher?" You might want to rethink that. Preparing for reflection makes you a better writer.  Continue reading...

From cholera to Spanish flu to "Wuhan virus," what we call a disease reveals our fears and prejudices.  Continue reading...

Are you having a rebuilding year? Whether you're building, rebuilding, reloading, unloading, or just slowly turning to dust, euphemisms are a proven distraction from the perils of your own life.  Continue reading...

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the merger of four railroads in the United States to create the longest railroad in the world by number of miles served. I note the anniversary as an item of linguistic curiosity, in light of the many ways that railroads and trains have made their way into popular and figurative English.  Continue reading...

Thanks to the prominence of pronouns and the depth of Baron's work, a Tour of the History of Nonbinary Pronouns is probably going to be the language book of the year.  Continue reading...