Category: Language Arts
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Sharon Begley in Newsweek: When the Viaduct de Millau opened in the south of France in 2004, this tallest bridge in the world won worldwide accolades. German newspapers described how it "floated above the clouds" with "elegance and lightness" and "breathtaking" beauty. In France, papers praised the "immense" "concrete giant." Was it mere coincidence that…
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The English language is about to reach the 1million word mark. At least, by one person’s reckoning – that of Paul Payack, a “word watcher” (of the Wordubon Society?) from Austin, Texas. Payack thinks he knows the precise time that the millionth word will enter the English language lexicon – 10:22 am (GMT) on Wednesday, June 10, 2009. He has a count-down…
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Are scientists on the path to deciphering the Indus Valley script? The story here and here. An ancient script that's defied generations of archaeologists has yielded some of its secrets to artificially intelligent computers. Computational analysis of symbols used 4,000 years ago by a long-lost Indus Valley civilization suggests they represent a spoken language. Some frustrated…
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There may be many a slip between the cup and the lip. But do you know that the drinking cup is etymologically a close cousin of the skull? I did but that knowledge is tucked away in a distant enough corner of the brain that it doesn't color the way I look at my tea cup. I am an avid tea drinker. I…
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John McCain never tires of reminding us that he is a "maverick," a dissenter "who marches to his own drum," he said in his acceptance speech. We know the common dictionary meaning of the word that referred originally to wayward cattle and later to a public figure with an independent mind. The owner of the…
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After a shaky start, the Republican National Convention picked up tempo by midweek. The party reached its high point on Wednesday, the 3rd of September, when John McCain’s running mate, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska brought the house down with her acceptance speech. McCain wrapped up the convention the next day with a patriotic story…
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Matt’s found sound – through punctuation. Should we give him "a posh trophy?" And here are some folks who have made the "apostrophe" their life’s misson.
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I approach food writing with caution, if not dread. Too often a writer’s musings about the culinary arts turn out unappetizingly precious or pretentious. Restaurant reviewers have to work hard to avoid saying pretty much the same thing about this week’s carbonnara as they remarked of last week’s polenta. The sappiness and off-putting wordplay can…
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