Mike P.
Subscriber since: Thu Nov 13 16:11:50 EST 2008
Location: Seattle, WA
Contributor
About Me
I'm a technical writer and editor and work in the software industry (Amazon, Microsoft). I got an MA in Germanic studies in ... well, it was a LONG time ago. I'm interested in the evolution of languages, in particular the changes that formed modern English and modern German. And of course I'm interested in seeing evidence of how this evolution continues right before our eyes (ears). My work and my interests somehow reconcile, such that during the day I can play editor and enforce a wide array of language rules while otherwise taking a neutral descriptivist stand on everything I read and hear.
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Favorite Quote:

"One cannot but be impressed by the amazing hospitality of the English language."
- Robert Burchfield

Favorite Topics:

Blogs:

Ben Zimmer on How Technology is Shaping Language
Tue Oct 08 00:00:00 EDT 2013
On Slate, Lexicon Valley Launches a New Language Blog
Tue Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2013

Grammar:

Seven Sentences You Should Stop Writing
Mon Nov 23 09:00:00 EST 2020
How to Make Your Sentences Shorter
Thu Jun 25 09:00:00 EDT 2020

How to write:

Nine ways to finish the writing you start
Thu Jul 28 11:00:00 EDT 2022
How to Survive Until You're Famous or Successful
Thu Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2022

Language:

Metaphors We Live By (Updated)
Thu Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 2022
Brand Names of the Year for 2021
Thu Dec 16 00:00:00 EST 2021

Linguistics:

Scale Your Onboarding
Thu Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2022
Tricky, Special, Fruitful, Space-Flavored Fiddle-Faddle
Thu Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2022

Media:

Understanding "Maven"
Thu May 19 00:00:00 EDT 2022
Predictive Human Balderdash and Other Managed Malarkey
Thu May 12 00:00:00 EDT 2022

Word Origins:

Shoot! How Gun Idioms Color Our Speech
Thu Jul 21 12:00:00 EDT 2022
Scale Your Onboarding
Thu Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2022

Reading:

How to Read More Books
Mon Nov 19 00:00:00 EST 2018
Pride and Prejudice and Natural Language Processing
Mon Apr 02 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Teaching:

Teach Your Children Well
Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2019
The Enduring Impact of English Teachers on Students
Tue Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Usage:

Comparative Nonsense
Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2019
Unexpected Cousins
Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2019

Words:

Shoot! How Gun Idioms Color Our Speech
Thu Jul 21 12:00:00 EDT 2022
"Nine Nasty Words": How and Why We Curse
Fri Aug 13 09:00:00 EDT 2021

Writers:

Nine ways to finish the writing you start
Thu Jul 28 11:00:00 EDT 2022
How to Survive the Feast or Famine of Freelance Writing
Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 2022

Writing:

Nine ways to finish the writing you start
Thu Jul 28 11:00:00 EDT 2022
How to Survive the Feast or Famine of Freelance Writing
Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 2022