Presidential candidate Joe Biden really got my attention last week … and not in a good way. First there was the “No malarkey” tour. Okay, that’s a nice, if dated, way to say “no bullshit.” I’m not at all sure it’s a good idea to remind voters that he’s old enough to use that phrase. … Continue reading Hating liars
For a lesson in how to wield the English language, check out George Will’s column in the Washington Post. You needn’t agree that “Trump is no longer the worst person in government” to enjoy — or choke on — Will’s use of $10 words. I plowed through the first paragraph, thinking maybe it was just a … Continue reading Will issues verbal thrashing of Mike Pence
I’m among those who don’t understand what Melania Trump means with her “Be Best” campaign. My first thought was that since English is her second language, maybe she just missed the mark and means “Be the Best” or “Be Your Best.” But then I realized there are plenty of staff members around her who could … Continue reading ‘Be Best’?
(Yes, it’s a real word. I looked it up. And not surprisingly, it’s been discussed more than once in the last year. But I’d managed to remain ignorant until I saw this cartoon this morning.) Continue reading I learned a new word today
Two weeks ago, Dictionary.com announced that its Word of the Year was complicit. Today another dictionary, Merriam-Webster, announced its Word of the Year: feminism. As with complicit, the selection of feminism was based on the number of people who looked up the word on the dictionary’s website. There was a 70% increase in 2017 vs. 2016. … Continue reading Another Word of the Year: ‘feminism’
I’d like to think all my readers are already well aware of the meaning of complicit. And yet Dictionary.com declared it their Word of the Year because of the number of people who looked it up this year. The curiosity came in three spikes: The first (March 12) was after Saturday Night Live did a … Continue reading Dictionary.com announces Word of the Year
