I heard a newscaster–sports I think–say that someone was waiting on the laurels of someone. Sometimes I feel like an ancient Roman watching Latin turn into French. What did the newscaster mean? He had a vague recollection of having heard something about laurels and an -ing verb. The expression he was reaching for is resting … Read more
A Target television ad asks at the beginning “When is a door not a door?” Later in the ad comes the answer: “when it’s a portal.” So what’s the difference? A door is an opening through which one may pass through a wall. So is a portal, but a portal leads to something special. In … Read more
Reader Nancy has noticed the following use of know: If I’d know this years ago. This is a non-standard use of the verb, possibly an example of dialect. In standard usage known is the past participle called for in this clause: If I’d known this years ago… Know belongs to a small group of verbs … Read more
Not everyone loves cats, but the language has its share of expressions coined from the appearance and behavior of these slinky domestic companions. The slang of the 1920s leaned towards expressions involving animal anatomy, giving us the cat’s meow and the cat’s whiskers, both meaning “outstanding!” It also gave us a non-anatomical cat expression the … Read more
Of all the free language references available online, my absolute favorite is the Online Etymology Dictionary: a map of the wheel-ruts of modern English…explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago. My usual practice in researching a post is to consult several references–online and in print. When my … Read more
Terry Gross used the word miscreants when introducing a commentary on NPR. The segment, “Madoff: A Scoundrel Or A Sociopath?” (15Apr2009) was a commentary by Geoff Nunberg on the word scoundrel in current usage. Gross placed the stress on the second syllable. The usual pronunciation of miscreant places the stress on the first syllable: [MIS-kree-ent]. … Read more
Edwin Johnstone wrote: What is the proper way to spell masters degree ? or is it master’s degree? or Masters degree? or Master’s degree? To answer this question, I’ve consulted the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, and some university dissertation guidelines. Speaking generically, you would write master’s degree: Jack has finally earned his … Read more
Reader Barry Kemp has a question about fit: One thing that has puzzled me for a while is the use of the word “fit”. It’s quite clear when one reads that “the new rug was a perfect fit in the apartment” But what is the rule for the past tense? We often read something like … Read more
One of my favorite sayings is God is in the details. It makes me think of patient medieval manuscript illuminators who might spend days on the meticulous execution of one initial letter. Their work was a form of prayer. Every detail deserved the utmost attention because the work was being offered to the glory of … Read more
In his landmark essay about the English language, George Orwell talked about multi-syllabic Latin words that fall upon the facts like soft snow, blurring the outline and covering up all the details. It’s not just lengthy Latin words that are used to conceal meaning. The simple Old Norse word mistake is used to cover a … Read more