Is it ever okay to end a sentence with a preposition? Oh, is it ever! Martha and Grant do their best to bury this tired old proscription. It’s a baseless rule concocted by 17-century grammarians, and it’s errant nonsense up with which...
In this week’s installment of Slang This!, a member of the National Puzzlers League tries to separate the real slang terms from the fake ones. Try this one: If you have chutzpah, might you also be said to “have the stitches” to get...
What IS the longest word in the English language? “Antidisestablishmentarianism”? “Floccinaucinihilipilification”? Or “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis,” maybe? Martha and Grant discuss such...
precariat n.— «“Precariat” is a new Japanese word combining the English words “precarious,” referring to the insecurity of part-time and contract work, and “proletariat.”» —“‘Precariat’ workers are...
Bahasa Inglonesia n.— «More and more English words are being added to Bahasa Indonesia everyday! If this continues, Bahasa Indonesia will slowly blossom to become Bahasa Inglonesia.» —“‘Bahasa Inglonesia’?” by K.B...
tomdee n.— «Western ideas about sexuality have begun to intermingle, and gay men now tend to identify themselves with the English word “gay,” while many lesbians have adopted the term tomdee—a mix of the English words...