Search Content
Is There a Fossil in Your Phrase? Feb. 12, 2025
And now the renowned linguistic paleontologist Professor U. Stew Mean examines verbal fossils to dis... Read More
The Bird Is the Word Feb. 05, 2025
Get your binoculars ready for some linguistic birdwatching! The Latin word for bird, "avis," still s... Read More
Burn Your Candle at One End Jan. 29, 2025
And now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to introduce the renowned motivational speaker Ward Back ... Read More
Take Their Word for It Jan. 22, 2025
When English lacks the precise word to convey a subtle or complex concept, it often smuggles in a wo... Read More
Metaphors Provide Two Loaves -- and Maybe a Load of Fish Jan. 15, 2025
A metaphor is a flash of lightning — sudden, vivid and electric. In a single instant, it illum... Read More
Why U.S. History Is Peppered With Silly Terms Jan. 08, 2025
As we prepare to celebrate our nation's 250th birthday next year, this secret can now be revealed: D... Read More
Flag These Errors for Roughing the Passage Jan. 01, 2025
It's NFL playoff time or, as I call it, "Cabin Fever Consolation." You be the referee. The following... Read More
'Pled' on Trial: Guilty or Not Guilty? Dec. 25, 2024
"She pled guilty." That sentence in a newspaper article stirred Sara Solomon of Roscoe, Pennsylvania... Read More
Take a Gander at These Goose Eggs Dec. 18, 2024
Readers have sent me a fresh batch of bloopers from newspapers and magazines. Can you spot the blots... Read More
The Whole Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth Dec. 11, 2024
"I have been to the endodontist and the periodontist (and had dinner with my cousin, an orthodontist... Read More
Coming to 'Terms' With 2024 Dec. 04, 2024
'Twas twenty two four, and all through the nation, The buzzwords were flying, to much consternation.... Read More
Twain Caught Twang, Twinkle of American Speech Nov. 27, 2024
We celebrate Noah Webster as a founding father of American English because his 1828 dictionary was t... Read More
Joy to the Word! Nov. 20, 2024
There's no place like tome for the holidays! These new books will delight the word lovers on your sh... Read More
Should a Happy Clam Go on the Wagon? Nov. 13, 2024
Why is a clam happy? Why is someone who stops drinking alcohol said to be "on the wagon"? Why do peo... Read More
'Weeding' Out the Origins of 'Pot' Nov. 06, 2024
With the help of Tom Dalzell's deliciously wicked book "The Slang of Sin" (Merriam Webster, $20), le... Read More
Raiders of the Lost 'R' Oct. 30, 2024
The mail carrier was juggling a passel of parcels. In a way, that sentence is redundant. For "passel... Read More
Where're You At on Ending With 'At'? Oct. 23, 2024
You've probably heard the joke about a Southerner visiting Harvard for the first time. When he asks ... Read More
Why Are We So Mad at Low-Hanging Fruit? Oct. 20, 2024
There's a saying you've probably heard a thousand times: "Don't go for the low-hanging fruit." You s... Read More
Speaking of the 'Devil' Oct. 16, 2024
It's the season of Halloween, so this column is going straight to the "devil." Even though "devil" s... Read More
Tarnation! Some Words Can Be Ornery Varmints Oct. 09, 2024
What in tarnation is the origin of "tarnation"? You might be surprised to learn that "tarnation" is ... Read More
