


Topic : Words![]() Dog EaredBooks we love"The Word Detective" is a Revealing Look at the Life of an OED Gumshoe November 28, 2016 By Mark Peters
Thanks to numerous anecdotes about the old and new ways of the lexicography, I quite enjoyed The Word Detective: Searching for the Meaning of it All at the Oxford English Dictionary, the memoir of John Simpson, former Chief Editor. Simpson was a participant and prime mover in the huge changes to the OED, which saw the dictionary finally being produced, "from the computer database, not from copper plates." Because of the unique insights into the most important and impressive dictionary in English, this is a book any word lover should enjoy.
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Article Topics:Evasive ManeuversEuphemisms old and newAn Oodle of Euphs from Green's Dictionary of Slang November 14, 2016 By Mark Peters
Every month I collect and inspect a plethora of sneaky terms from sources far and wide, to share a laugh over the human race's ludicrous attempts at lexical trickery. This month, the euphs are all coming from a single source I wish to celebrate: Green's Dictionary of Slang (GDoS).
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Article Topics:Word CountWriters Talk About WritingHarry Potter and the Discombobulated Description October 24, 2016 By Adam Cooper
The spells are quite witty, but they aren't the only examples of wordplay in the Harry Potter universe. In the Potter novels J. K. Rowling uses vocabulary that has made her characters living creatures to generations of readers. This tradition continues in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
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Evasive ManeuversEuphemisms old and newTricky, Capable Apple-squires and Alligator Dung October 12, 2016 By Mark Peters
I understand why a euphemism is useful. There's a huge stigma, unfortunately, surrounding mental health, and that stigma probably prevents people from seeking the help they need. However, I wonder if this euphemism is too effective a cloaking device.
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Article Topics:Evasive ManeuversEuphemisms old and newSustained, Mislived Difficulties and Other Drivel-ish Dreams September 7, 2016 By Mark Peters
Are you a dreamer? I've had a few myself. That one where my pet lizard Ronnie convinced me to betray humanity to the alien lizards who control all governments was a doozy. Betraying Earth is one thing, but I would never have a pet lizard! But that's not the kind of dreamer that made a few recent headlines. Rather, a dreamer is an undocumented immigrant, usually a young person, who may have been brought to the U.S. as a child.
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Word CountWriters Talk About WritingGetting the Low-down on Up-classify July 14, 2016 By Adam Cooper
Reporting on his investigation of Hillary Clinton's email use, F.B.I. Director James B. Comey mentioned several times that the F.B.I. engaged in up-classifying emails.
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