WORDS Do you hear me?Do you care?Do you hear me?Do you care? My lips are moving and the sound’s coming outThe words are audible but I have my doubtsThat you realize what has been saidYou look at me as if you’re in a dazeIt’s like the feeling at the end of the pageWhen you realize … Continue reading What are words for when no one listens anymore?
Several days ago Slate ran an article titled “The United Slang of America.” In it the author presents a variety of words that are more or less exclusive to certain states (or, as the author explains, are staff’s favorite words from each state). The science is questionable given the mobility of American society, but the … Continue reading From whistle pigs to toad-stranglers
I found some interesting maps on the Huffington Post last night. They illustrate where certain curse words get the most use in the US (the lower 48 states). Not at all surprising to someone who lived there most of her life, the mild expletives “Darn” and “Gosh” are quite common in Oklahoma. So, too, is … Continue reading Which curse words are popular in your state?
Several times recently I’ve heard someone misuse the phrase “begs the question.” I’ve long known it does not mean to raise or pose a question that needs to be answered. But offhand I could not explain its proper use, so off to Google I went. Most of the explanations I found were not very clear because they didn’t give … Continue reading The word nerd rides again
Every year Lake Superior State University, after accepting nominations all year, publishes its official list of banished words for the upcoming year. The banished words for 2015, with some of the accompanying comments: bae “Meaning ‘before anyone else.’ How stupid! Stop calling your boyfriend ‘bae’.” — Evie Dunagan, Manheim, Penn. polar vortex “Less than a … Continue reading Here it is: Banished word list for 2015
As a helpless victim in a purple swing state during the 2014 political campaign, I suffered through a months-long waterboarding with the most vile, ugly, vicious political ads I can recall. And in the wake of the actual election, all I’ve wanted to do is rest, recover, and avoid as much political news and analysis … Continue reading Campaign insults from red to blue
