by Bethany Lake It was merely an answer to a question. I wasn’t trying to be a know-it-all or a Language Police officer or anything like that. The question posed by a Twitter (now X) personality was, “What’s the smallest hill you are willing to die on?” My answer: “The l in almond is silent.” I pointed out that, … Continue reading A Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of “Garner’s Modern English Usage”
Tag: words
3 Podcasts for the Working Editor
By Alicja Minda—Podcasts can be a great way to stay on top of developments in the editing industry, or even an instrument of life-long learning. If you enjoyed our review of 3 Podcasts for a Lover of Books and Words, here is another portion of podcast recommendations for editors. This time we’re covering a ...
3 Podcasts for a Lover of Books and Words
By Yoorim Choi—As a podcast enthusiast, I find that the beauty in these auditory delights lies in their ability to provide information on near any topic, with the only charge to listeners being an open and attentive ear. With the world at its peak of turmoil and uncertainty, it can be overwhelming to …
Book Review: Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar by David Crystal
Crystal against crystallization by James Harbeck (Oxford University Press, 2017) How can we have crystal-clear language spoken by people with a crystal-clear understanding of how it works? For one thing, don’t try to crystallize it—just Crystal-ize. Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar, by David Crystal, is for anyone who wants to get Crystal … Continue reading Book Review: Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar by David Crystal
Book Review: The Story of Be: A Verb’s-Eye View of the English Language by David Crystal
(Oxford University Press, 2017) By Christine Albert Some words are so familiar that it feels as though we instinctively know what they mean. And when we don’t, we use a dictionary to read its definition and determine how it can be placed alongside other words to form cohesive narratives. But how often do we think … Continue reading Book Review: The Story of Be: A Verb’s-Eye View of the English Language by David Crystal
The Nitpicker’s Nook: November edition
The Nitpicker’s Nook is a monthly collection of language-related articles, interviews, blog posts, and podcasts. If you read or hear something that would make a good addition, email your suggestion to [email protected]. By Carol Harrison Need a five-minute break from hacking and chopping and cursing the English language? Open Culture features a short lesson by … Continue reading The Nitpicker’s Nook: November edition
Webinar: A linguist’s guide to grammar
What you learned in English class will help you with syntax about as much as what you learned in driving lessons will help you with mechanics—you get by fine until one day you find yourself stopped in the middle of a sentence with smoke coming out from under the hood. In this webinar, we're going … Continue reading Webinar: A linguist’s guide to grammar
Nitpicker’s Nook: March “it’s almost spring” edition
The Nitpicker’s Nook is a monthly collection of language-related articles, interviews, and blog posts. If you read something that would make a good addition, email your suggestion to [email protected]. Irish editor and “swivel-chair linguist” Stan Carey blogs about how usage snuck/sneaked into The Simpsons. Writer and teacher John Kelly dishes up some fresh hell on … Continue reading Nitpicker’s Nook: March “it’s almost spring” edition
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