250 years ago this month, on May 15th 1756, the tipping point in widespread European conflict came when England declared war on France and her allies, marking the official beginning of what came to be called the Seven Years' War. In commemoration, the Lounge has gone massively rococo with mock Chippendale furniture, and secured perukes for all the gentlemen and ruffs for the ladies. The Visual Thesaurus is celebrating by collecting together and examine all things seven.  Continue reading...

A vacation in the desert recently gave the Lounge an opportunity to scrutinize a couple of old words in English and ponder their careers. Overall the experience left us rather high and -- dry.  Continue reading...

Craft, a venerable and ancient word in English, appears to have grown so old that it can no longer defend itself against misuse by even well-meaning speakers and writers. This month the Lounge crafts its response to the phenomenon.  Continue reading...

At what point do you conclude that spin doctors have spun out of control? The American Dialect Society thinks that the answer to that question is blowing in the wind. In the Lounge this month, we examine their findings.  Continue reading...

If you've always longed to hitch your lederhosen to the zeitgeist but didn't know whether it was appropriate to do so with a karabiner, this month's Language Lounge is for you: we survey the influence of modern German on English, with tips from the top about when to translate and when to merely borrow.  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...