Category Archives: Language

Paraphernalia

Posted on April 13, 2011 by sputterpub

Usually it’s a thin device, to begin a piece with a dictionary definition. I remember receiving criticism for such a thing in high school assignments. So I’m impressed with the new Sprint ad on TV right now, featuring the CEO … Continue reading →

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Rigmarole

Posted on April 6, 2011 by sputterpub

I was rereading a Nero Wolfe mystery recently, and the word “rigmarole” jumped off the page at me. Every once in awhile that happens; I notice a word in a way I never did before, become curious about it, like … Continue reading →

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Moot Question

Posted on August 24, 2010 by sputterpub

     When I was around 41, I asked my kids the question we haven’t yet answered. I think it was summertime, which made Danny 9 and Katie on the approach to 15. “Imagine you have a perfectly balanced coin,” I … Continue reading →

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Whatever

Posted on August 4, 2010 by sputterpub

When I was around 55 I witnessed a word, and understood its true meaning, from the bus. My office was in San Francisco and my home was in Berkeley, and that had been my geography for about 30 years, so … Continue reading →

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