Are you a person, place or thing? We have good news.
Tag Archives: English Language
The Panorama Panini Pandemic
People have a range of nicknames for the pandemic: a panorama, a pandemonium, a “pandemi moore,” a panini. Is humor a useful way to cope with incredibly difficult times?
Tracking the Vocabulary of Sci-Fi, from Aerocar to Zero-Gravity
The new online Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction probes the speculative corners of the lexicographic universe.
With Remote Learning, a 12-Year-Old Knows Her English Is Slipping Away
In New York City, 142,000 children are learning English in school. Online classes are especially challenging for them.
The 20 Phrases That Defined 2020
We picked up a whole new vocabulary this year — some of it words that have been around forever.
‘Thumb-Stopping.’ ‘Humaning.’ ‘B4H.’ The Strange Language of Modern Marketing.
The ad business is overrun with buzzwords and acronyms, and some people are saying it’s enough already.
Oxford’s 2020 Word of the Year? It’s Too Hard to Isolate
Instead of crowning a single word as the winner, Oxford Languages looks at the pandemic’s swift and widespread impact on the English language.
My Immigrant Mother’s Vote Is More Than Just a Ballot
My mother moved to America in 1989. This summer, amid a pandemic and an uprising, she voted for the first time.
Geoffrey Nunberg, Expert on How Language Works, Dies at 75
A widely respected linguist, he found popularity beyond academia with appearances on NPR and books like the intriguingly titled “Going Nucular.”
We All Speak a Language That Will Go Extinct
Even when we speak the same tongue, understanding and being understood can be a struggle. I would know.
What Does Simp Mean?
An insult takes a dizzying trip through rap, men’s rights, misogyny and TikTok.
How Shakespeare Paperbacks Made Me Want to Be a Writer
The more you read, the more you realize Shakespeare is woven into the fiber of the English language.
When Coronavirus Care Gets Lost in Translation
Medical interpreters must now work remotely, multiplying the challenges for front-line doctors and non-English-speaking patients.
How to Edit Your Own Writing
Writing is hard, but don’t overlook the difficulty — and the importance — of editing your own work before letting others see it. Here’s how.