Linguistic Anarchy! It’s all Pun and Games Until Somebody Loses a Sign
The pun is in an interesting bind: it is both ubiquitous and reviled. We try to understand why.
More Hipster Than Thou: Is Vintage Language Back in Vogue?
A look at the recent boon in archaic terms and its relationship to "hipster" culture.
Hearing Harriet Smith
In the University of Texas library, our writer found a previously unknown audiotape of an interview with a woman who'd been born into slavery.
Yas Queen! It’s the Spelling Reform School for Wayward Words
Debates over English spelling reform have existed for centuries.
Dear Pedants: Your Fave Grammar Rule is Probably Fake
What constitutes ‘correct’ grammar in English seems to have a cyclical life, aided and abetted by new generations of enthusiastic grammarians.
All About That Taboo: When Good Words Go Bad
The phenomenon of sacres, or taboo words that start from fairly innocuous beginnings.
They’re Here, They’re Genderqueer, Get Used to Gender Neutral Pronouns
Ongoing study and debate about gender neutral pronouns.
Fanf–kingtastic and Edumacational: The Case of English Infixation
From shiznit to wel-diddly-elcome, the evolution of infixation in English language.
All the Young Dudes: Generic Gender Terms Among Young Women
The linguistics behind gender neutral terms among young women.