linguist Archives – A Way with Words

Little Pitchers

Posted by Grant Barrett on July 19, 2014 · 1 Comment

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Third Person Singular, Unknown Gender

Posted by Grant Barrett on December 18, 2012 · Add Comment

What’s the rule on using they and their in place of his and hers? Grammarians a couple of centuries ago may have misapplied some Latin rules of grammar to the unruly English language, but the issue is clear today: the word they functions perfectly well as an epicene pronoun as does their for its possessive [...]
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Pie in the Sky

Posted by Grant Barrett on December 17, 2012 · 2 Comments

Looking for a book to read with the kids, or maybe a guide to becoming a better writer? Why are leg cramps called charley horses? And where’d we get a phrase like pie in the sky? If you happen to be tall, you’ve no doubt heard plenty of clueless comments from strangers. A listener who’s [...]
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Determining A Person’s Origin by Their Language

Posted by Grant Barrett on December 8, 2012 · 1 Comment

Despite the reach of television and pop culture, American English dialects are growing more diverse. Grant shows how it’s possible to pinpoint your region of origin — or at least come close — based on the way you pronounce the word bag. Of course, whether you call a carbonated beverage soda, pop or Coke also [...]
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Newsletter: Meet Us at the Museum

Posted by Grant Barrett on November 9, 2012 · Add Comment

Hey, there! A happy post-election season to you. We hope our friends on the east coast are fully powered, dry, and warm. And everywhere else, we hope your recycling is overflowing with campaign signs. Here’s what we’ve been up to: brand-new episodes. You keep calling, we keep answering, and that’s how shows get made. Here’s [...]
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How British and American First Meetings Differ

Posted by Grant Barrett on October 6, 2012 · Add Comment

Step into a traditional English pub, it’ll be a while before everyone knows your name. A long while, in fact. The rules of conversational engagement are different in the UK from what you’d find in a place like Cheers. Kate Fox’s Passport to the Pub: The Tourist’s Guide to Pub Etiquette spells out many of [...]
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