Human–computer interaction Archives

Kiss the Cow (episode #1567)

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 19, 2021 · Add Comment

An anadrome is a word that forms a whole new word when you spell it backwards. For example, the word “stressed” spelled backwards is “desserts.” Some people’s first names are anadromes. There’s the girl named Noel in honor of her father Leon, and the woman named Edna who adopted the name Ande. Speaking of names, [...]

What’s the Plural for a Computer Mouse?

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 17, 2021 · Add Comment

If you’re talking about the device used to control your computer’s cursor, is the plural computer mouse or computer mice? Either is correct, but the most common version is computer mice. In the early days of computers, engineers often said computer mouses just for fun. The Hacker’s Dictionary (Bookshop|Amazon) mentions other jocular plurals among techies, [...]

Scat Cat

Posted by Grant Barrett on May 5, 2018 · Add Comment

The dilemma continues over how to spell dilemma! Grant and Martha try to suss out the backstory of why some people spell that word with an “n.” A lot of them, it seems, went to Catholic school. Maybe that’s a clue? Plus, the saying “Close, but no cigar” gets traced back to an old carnival [...]

Tricky Plural Word Quiz

Posted by Grant Barrett on March 20, 2017 · Add Comment

Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a tricky quiz with false answers. For example, if the plural of mouse is mice, then what’s the false plural of spouse? This is part of a complete episode.

Computer Mice

Posted by grantbarrett on October 23, 2015 · 1 Comment

The most common plural form of mouse—as in, a computer mouse—is mice. But since the mouse was introduced in the 1960’s, tech insiders have applied their own sense of humor and irony to the usage of mice. This is part of a complete episode.

Pricey Menu Items

Posted by grantbarrett on October 17, 2014 · Add Comment

The longer the description of an item on a menu, the more expensive it’ll likely be. In The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu, Stanford University linguist Dan Jurafsky shows that with each extra letter in a menu description, the price goes up about 69 cents. For a really comprehensive collection of menus, [...]

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Kiss the Cow (episode #1567)

What’s the Plural for a Computer Mouse?

Scat Cat

Tricky Plural Word Quiz

Computer Mice

Pricey Menu Items