Category Archives: Language

There was talk about a Rapture up to a couple of weeks ago. We expect it to resume some in about five months, but probably less than this spring. Among the sardonic comments, the sarcasm, the jokes, I heard occasional … Continue reading →

I’ve heard that French is the hardest language to spell. Knowledgeable people have told me that even the native speakers have a hard time with it. I’m sure that’s not correct. It’s true that you can’t tell singular from plural … Continue reading →

I came across the word “plight” recently, and that’s the first time I wondered about it. The context meant “danger,” and I conjectured that plight was some past tense of plow, the way wrought and wright is from work. Not … Continue reading →

Recently Otto and Henry discovered the MAD show on cartoon network, and that led to the original Mad magazine, much to their parents’ delight. Particularly popular with them is the “Spy vs Spy” series, on TV and also in print. … Continue reading →

I never thought about the word until I encountered it in the autobiography of Mark Twain. He reported on the term not from his Mississippi River days, but from his experiences in the ocean around Hawaii. He wrote that the … Continue reading →

Andy suggested “cattywampus” as a word o’ the week, and that brought “cattycorner” and “caterwaul” to mind. Let’s look. I’m composing this in Eugene, where I have more comforts but less books. The dictionaries I have here are electronic but … Continue reading →

     It’s not productive to complain about the degeneration of the English language. Even the clever bemoaners don’t slow down the process, and most of the protesters are not clever. Anyone who understands word origin or how grammar works appreciates … Continue reading →

My mother thinks it’s a derogatory term. Whenever I try to explain to her why I made a decision she wouldn’t have, I describe myself as weird. “No you’re not,” she responds so swiftly it seems automatic. “Weird isn’t bad, … Continue reading →

How can you not love that word? Pan-demon-ium = All hell breaking loose. Clearly and obviously. This should be the shortest entry I ever post. I think we think of it as a condition – pandemonium in the streets – … Continue reading →