Is there something inherent in English that makes it the linguistic equivalent of the Borg, dominating and consuming other languages in its path? No, not at all. The answer lies with politics and conquest rather than language itself. Plus: a new...
A discussion on the English Language & Usage Stack Exchange about things that can still be useful even if they longer function properly, such as escalators and moving sidewalks, included several intriguing expressions involving partial failure...
Hello, language-lover — A Way with Words an independent nonprofit production, which means it doesn’t get financial support from any radio network or government agency. We do the show ourselves, from top to bottom. We make it, we ship it. We...
golden gut n.— «The job of a network executive has never been easy. Picking a hit is a tall order even for someone with what the industry likes to call a “golden gut”—a knack for sniffing out what’s likely to sell.» —“NBC...
exit guide n.— «After a multistate investigation, four network members—“exit guides,” they call themselves—have been arrested and charged with helping 58-year-old John Celmer of Cumming commit suicide last June.» —“Time to pull...
frostback n.— «Have a feature in today’s Toronto Star on all the “frostbacks” on the January press tour.… Frostbacks is an expression I’d never heard of until Star TV columnist Rob Salem spelled it out for me last...