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Eggcorns Finally Get Their Due in a Bountiful Book of Malapropisms
October 8, 2015
By Mark Peters
Topic : UsageDog EaredBooks we loveEggcorns Finally Get Their Due in a Bountiful Book of Malapropisms October 8, 2015 By Mark Peters![]() Evasive ManeuversEuphemisms old and newMinding Like-Minded Individuals With a Low Blue Flame October 6, 2015 By Mark Peters
Have you encountered a transition counselor lately? I hope not. In the real world, a transition counselor is a diabolical euphemism for a profession made famous by George Clooney's character in Up in the Air: someone who fires people for a living. But in Matt Kindt's extraordinary conspiracy thriller Mind MGMT, the term has an even darker sense: assassin.
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On Minnesota Public Radio, our executive editor Ben Zimmer explored the problematic history of the word refugee, now frequently heard in media accounts of the European migration crisis.
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Evasive ManeuversEuphemisms old and newEthically Aggregating for Old Ned September 8, 2015 By Mark Peters
In his latest batch of under-the-radar euphemisms, Mark Peters introduces such linguistic doozies as "ethical cheating," an oxymoronic term that came to light after the Ashley Madison hacking hubbub.
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Evasive ManeuversEuphemisms old and newBladder Spasms and Other Containment Anomalies August 5, 2015 By Mark Peters
We're in the middle of one of the most important transitions in a democracy: from one Batman to another. But as the era of Ben Affleck (Batfleck) rapidly approaches, former Batman Christian Bale recently offered wise words to his successor on how he should be able to relieve himself.
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Behind the DictionaryLexicographers Talk About LanguageTrump-mentum? Bernie-mentum? The Return of a Popular Electoral Suffix July 27, 2015 By Mark Peters
Whether you like or loathe it, I bet you've noticed the return of –mentum: a suffix that fills the Internet during election season much as a sulfurous smell fills hell. This suffix is also a terrific reminder of a sad truth: the media will never, ever treat a presidential election as anything more than a sporting event with fewer concussions.
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Word RoutesExploring the pathways of our lexiconIs "Southpaw" from Boxing or Baseball? July 24, 2015 By Ben Zimmer
With the boxing movie "Southpaw" opening, it's a good time to ponder where the term "southpaw" came from as an epithet for a left-hander. Baseball and boxing have both used the term for a long time to label lefty athletes, but which came first?
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