Category Archives: Language

Ngram of the Day

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Society and culture: From a current day academic point of view society and culture are separate but related concepts. Culture tends to refer to the values and beliefs of a group of people and the material surroundings that … Continue reading →

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Tumblr Du Jour: PopSonnet

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: From PopSonnet, whose author recasts well-known songs in Shakespearean iambic pentameter. Link via Maggie McNeill.

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Humor, Language | Tagged bon jovi, iambic pentameter, livin on a prayer, maggie mcneill, Shakespeare, sonnet | 6 Comments

“Need” and “Should”

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Another installment in what I’m thinking of as my Andy Rooney Series, wherein I notice, and then muse grumpily about, current trends. Hey, what else are older people good for? Today: What to make of morally coercive language … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Language, Personal reflections, Trends | Tagged language, magazines, trends, young people | 17 Comments

Couldn’t Do It Today

Posted on May 25, 2014 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: I see Eddie Murphy’s “Delirious” has recently been added to Netflix Instant. I watched part of it and was struck by the bit you see above, which occurs right at the start of the performance. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Language, Performers, Politics and Economics, Sex | Tagged 1980s, AIDS, couldn't do it today, Delirious, Eddie Murphy, gays, homophobia, PC, political correctness, stand-up comedy, un-PC | 12 Comments

Idioms I Don’t Understand

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: My usage of the cliché “paying through the nose” in my previous Linkage led me to ponder the origins of some idioms, similes and metaphors whose meanings are more obscure than perhaps they ought to be. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Language | 8 Comments

Linkage (Sensitivity Omnibus Edition)

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Don’t call homosexuals “homosexual”: it’s offensive. Don’t call in-ear sound amplifiers “hearing aids”: it’s misleading. Don’t call someone a sexist: it’ll soon be illegal in Belgium. Don’t call or email your civic leaders to complain about laws … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, Linkathons | 5 Comments

Ten Words That Sound Yiddish, But Aren’t

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Perplexed Svelte Tumult Abyss Pestle Finger Farfetched Gondola Lentil Belabor

Posted in Humor, Language | Tagged language, oy vey iz mir, yiddish | 7 Comments

Wie Schön Das Ist, Daß Du Bei Mir Bist

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Three classic Motown songs re-recorded in German translations by the original artists. If you’re half the language geek I am, this will make you smile non-stop. I find it strange that when it comes to operas, I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, Music, Performers | Tagged classic songs, german, marvin gaye, motown, the supremes, the temptations, wtf | Leave a comment

Grammar Catastrophe Du Jour

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: The early bird does not employ a spell-checker, apparently. Taken at the Sydney flagship of Myer, Australia’s largest department-store chain.