Below is everything (newest at top) with "culture OR humor OR language" in its title or subcategories. For a strict listing (matching all categories and subcats), click hereMLB BANS 2 FANS WHO GRABBED BETTS INDEFINITELY
from 2025 in ( education / language / english / headlines )
They were BANNED indefinitely, they didn't GRAB Betts indefinitely. Headline writing ain't what it used to be.
Major League Baseball has banned two fans, Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen, who interfered with Dodgers star Mookie Betts during a World Series game at Yankee Stadium from attending any games at big league ballparks.... espn.com/mlb/story//id/43362055/mlb-bans... read more
AUSTRALIA DROPS PLAN TO FINE SOCIAL MEDIA GIANTS ACCUSED OF ENABLING MISINFORMATION
from 2024 in ( education / language / english )
This is the problem with the new use of the word "drop." I can't tell if they're announcing new plans or have stopped planning.
Australia's government said it had dropped plans to fine internet platforms up to 5% of their global revenue for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation online.... nbcnews.com/news/world/australia-dumps-plan-fine-social-media-giants-misinformation-rcna181579... read more
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHEST OF DRAWERS AND A BUREAU
from 2022 in ( education / language / english )
Because I keep wondering what to call that thing we have in our entryway/foyer (another term I go back and forth on)! Here is an explanation:The main difference between the chest of drawers and the bureau is that a chest has multiple compartments while a bureau has only one large compartment. A bureau also has a m... read more
IT'S A MYTH THAT ADULTS CAN'T LEARN LANGUAGES AS EASILY AS KIDS
from 2021 in ( education / language )
Adults can learn a second language as fast as children, reports a new study, and it's only the conditions in which a child learns a second language that's given kids a reputation as such fast learners. This means that adults can develop the increased neural connections typical of... href... read more
LAMBAST VS. LAMBASTE
from 2021 in ( education / language / english )
While the exact derivation of the word is not definitively known, the OED posits that it's a combination of lam and baste, both of which bear the sense (now archaic for both words) to beat soundly. Other sources agree. And lambaste is the older form. In historical Google Books searches, lambast is almost nonexistent before 1850.... read more
WORD OF THE DAY: FASCISM
from 2021 in ( education / language / english )
Fascism is not an ideology, it's a means to power -- Benito Mussolini According to merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascismMerriam Webster online , it means: a political philosophy, movement, or regime... that exalts nation and often race above the individual... In Italian... read more
FOREIGN WORDS WE USE IN ENGLISH
from 2021 in ( education / language / english )
This first one, lexico.com/explore/foreign-words-and-phraseslexico.com , is a great site on this subject, though a LOT of the words they list are never used by anyone but dilettantes (from the French and, surprisingly, not listed there). altalang.com/beyond-words/2... read more
AMERICAN-ENGLISH WORDS THAT SEEM TO BE UNIVERSAL
from 2021 in ( education / language / english )
Judging by foreign-language TV shows/movies I've watched, here are a few English and/or American-English words / mutterings / phrases that now seem universal, no matter which language you speak:Mm-hmm or uh-huh -- meaning yes;OK or okay;Hey;Super pronounced supah -- meaning great;Of course, the Ital... read more
WHEN TO USE WHO INSTEAD OF WHOM
from 2020 in ( education / language / grammar / english )
Almost everyone uses the word whom incorrectly. Whom is ONLY correct when following a preposition as in of whom, to whom, from whom, etc. That is the ONLY time you use whom instead of who. And, yes, even your English teacher probably gets it wrong. :) Who without the m is a perfectly valid word.... read more
WHAT IS TITLE CASE?
from 2020 in ( education / language / grammar / english )
This might be useful: thoughtco.com/title-case-capitalization-1692469title-case-capitalization Title case is one of the conventions used for capitalizing the words in a title, subtitle, heading, or headline: capitalize the first word, the last word, and all major words in bet... read more
THIS SO-CALLED PANDEMIC IS NOT EVEN AN EPIDEMIC
from 2020 in ( education / language / semantics / covid )
One-third (now one-sixth) of one percent does not constitute an epidemic, let alone a pandemic. Semantics, I know, but can they not even get the language right?330,102,000 population (see census.gov/popclock/census.gov )2,800,000 cases130,000 related deaths (which means they ma... read more
EARBUD-LIKE DEVICE CLAIMS TO BOOST LINGUISTIC SKILLS
from 2020 in ( education / tech / language )
The simple gadget dramatically improves the wearer's ability to learn new words, say the University of Pittsburgh team behind the research new...: dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-... read more
SHOULD I CAPITALIZE THAT DOG BREED NAME?
from 2020 in ( education / language / grammar / english )
In a word, no. See style.mla.org/capitalizing-names-of-dog-breeds/style.mla.org/capitalizing-names-of-dog-breeds Do not routinely capitalize the names of dog breeds. Many breed names are composed of proper nouns that you capitalize like Boston and generic terms (like retriever ... read more
SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ONLINE
from 2020 in ( education / language / grammar / internet )
When is that spelling-and-grammar-checking feature coming to Facebook, Instagram, etc.? It's not that my own (or anyone's) grammar and punctuation are flawless (too many contradictory rules), but can we all at least try harder for the sake of being understood?... read more
MANGLED ENGLISH
from 2020 in ( culture / humor / language / english )
This is pretty old, from the old /pages/family/holmes/newsletter/newsletter in 1992, when the Soviet Union still existed, but it's still funnyHow English is Being Used in Different Parts of the WorldIN A TOKYO HOTEL: Is forbitten to steal hotel towels please. If you are not person to do such thing ... read more
WORD HIPPO
from 2019 in ( education / language )
Useful site here: wordhippo.com/Word Hippo . Thesaurus and word tools for your creative needs.... read more
ANOTHER GRAMMAR COMPLAINT
from 2018 in ( education / language / grammar / english )
I used to be able to spot junk email by its bad grammar, spelling and punctuation. Now, even legitimate emails often fail the test. It makes the grammar Nazi in me very sad. And, no, I'm not a fan of the Oxford comma.... read more
YET ANOTHER GRAMMAR RANT
from 2017 in ( education / language / grammar )
In addition to honoring our veteran's, how about if we honor our teachers who taught us punctuation, spelling, and the difference between possessive and plural? :)... read more
THIS WEEK'S LITERACY RANT
from 2017 in ( education / language / grammar / english )
OK, people, the word is led (when pronounced led) not lead unless you're referring to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadthe metal . I'm not surprised to see this in social media where it's acceptable (cool, even) to be completely illiterate, but I keep seeing it in news articles written by supposed... read more
LINGMO LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR
from 2017 in ( education / language / tech )
Wow, I want one of these! lingmointernational.com/lingmo-translate/Real-time language translation device whispers into your ear in real time as it's listening to the person speaking.... read more
HOW TO SPELL TRAMPOLINE
from 2017 in ( education / language )
ebay.com/itm/12-FT-Round-Trampoline-with-Enclosure-Net-W-Spring-Pad-Ladder/132407663404?hashitem1ed41c9b2c:g:K6EAAOSw6D1a8-D1:rk:1:pf:0Trampoline ends in ine not ene as I had thought. Just FYI for next time someone tells you that's the wi-fi password and you can't get online to look it up. ... read more
DOLPHINS SPEAK IN HOLOGRAPHIC LANGUAGE
from 2015 in ( education / science / animals / language )
Very cool! : newspunch.com/scientists-reveal-that-dolphins-speak-in-a-holographic-language/scientists-reveal-that-dolphins-speak-in-a-holographic-language/ UPDATE: The commenters are mostly unconvinced.... read more
HER OWN LANGUAGE
from 2014 in ( education / language / elizabeth )
I love how my daughter, Elizabeth, 9, makes up words. Tonight I was complimenting her on what a good fruit smoothie she'd just made. I said she should always try to remember how much of each ingredient she used so she can make it again. So, she was going through the list of ingredients: two bananas, some of those honeydew melon pieces, ... read more
MUSICAL SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS
from 2013 in ( education / language / help / music )
That must be some fast signing. I'd like to see that. I guess they show the beat by tapping their feet? It's got me curious.We are SO excited to tell y'all that Musical Sign Language Interpreters will be at this weeks show.. and it is... f... read more
MYSTERY SOLVED
from 2012 in ( education / language )
I solved an old mystery today, thanks to one of the Russian language survivalphrases.compodcasts I've been listening to lately. It's a phase I'm going through. I'm starting to listen to Hindi, Chinese and Brazilian Portuguese, too. I guess I'm doing all of the titleBRICS target... read more
LANGUAGE PAGE
from 2012 in ( education / language )
Names in their own tongue and script: omniglot.com/language/names.htmLanguage names in their own tongue and script The table shows native/local names for languages in their own scripts, or autoglottonyms. You can click on the Language names that are links to hear how they ... read more
COOL WEBSITE: WORDNIK
from 2012 in ( education / language / english )
titleflyclipart.com/kids-writing-clipart-writing-journal-clipart-325865 hrefwordnik.com/words/whatever%20floats%20your%20boatWordnik . Cool website for those who like words. I love how they provide samples from articles on the internet. And they provide an explanation/definition to links (if yo... read more
WORD OF THE DAY: DINKUM
from 2010 in ( education / language / english )
(DING-kuhm)Dinkum, also dinky-di, fair dinkum, adjectiveTrue; honest; genuine. Etymology: Probably derived, like many other Australian words, from English dialect. The counties of Lincolnshire and Derbyshire had a word or dincum meaning work; a fair share of work. The word was first recorded in Australia in Rolf Boldrewood&... read more
WORD OF THE DAY: PARSIMONIOUS
from 2010 in ( education / language / english )
Our word of the day is parsimonious(par-si-MO-nee-uhs)adjective: Excessively sparing or frugal. Etymology From Middle English parcimony, from Latin parsimonia, from parcere (to spare). First recorded use: 1598. Usage President Calvin Coolidge was so with words that he became known... read more
LESSON FOR TODAY
from 2010 in ( education / language )
There is an old hotel/pub in Marble Arch, London which used to have gallows adjacent. Prisoners were taken to the gallows (after a fair trial, of course) to be hung. The horse-drawn dray carting the prisoner was accompanied by an armed guard who would stop the dray outside the pub and ask the prisoner if he would like ONE LAST DRINK.If he s... read more
AWARD-WINNING ENGLISH PROSE
from 2001 in ( culture / humor / language / english )
Every year, English teachers from across the USA can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year's winners.1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compre... read more
DID I READ THAT SIGN RIGHT?
from 1998 in ( culture / humor / language )
In a public restroom Toilet Out Of Order. Please Use Floor Below In a laundromat Automatic Washing Machines Please Remove All Your Clothes When The Light Goes Out In a London department store Bargain Basement Upstairs In an office Would The Person Who Took The ... read more