Better Names for Things
Jeff Wysaski heads to another store and swaps its signage with more logical names for things. You’re welcome, Lowe’s. H/T Pleated Jeans
Call Me Stormy
Finding righteous currents in turbulent times
Archive for the tag “linguistics”
16 Words Missing from English
The English language can be dull. Here are some words we need to have English equivalents for. H/T BuzzFeed
Hearse of Different Colors
Today, we recognize the word hearse as a vehicle that carries a coffin to a funeral. Jessica Oreck explains how this word has, at various times, described a wolf, a rake and a frame, eventually landing at its meaning today. H/T TEDEducation
Mysteries of the Vernacular
Clue or clew? Before the word clue became associated with mystery novels, it meant a ball of string or thread, a definition dating back to Greek mythology. Jessica Oreck unravels this mystery of the vernacular. H/T TEDEducation
What Is Verbal Irony?
At face value, the lines between verbal irony, sarcasm, and compliments can be blurry. After all, the phrase ‘That looks nice’ could be all three depending on the circumstances. In the final of a three part series on irony, Christopher Warner gets into the irony you may use most often and most casually: verbal irony.
Name That Animal
What’s in a name? Quite a lot actually. Sally Le Page with Shed Science shares the stories behind six of the most interesting animal species names from the misconceptions around apes and monkeys to the downright bizarre Beyonce horsefly.
14 Words the Language Needs
We won’t tartle before we cafune you! Just let us introduce some words you need to know. Rhett and Link present Good Mythical Morning Episode 222.
Well Defined
Can we define our own world or do we live inside a box of well-defined and predefined reality? Here’s a short comedy skit exploring this conundrum, a collaboration by YouTube artists The Kloons and The Brothers Reidell.
Weasel Words Shape Politics
Not only politicians, but also the media, often use euphemisms to soften the truth and camouflage hard realities. Civilians killed in wars are called “collateral damage.” No one’s rich or poor, anymore. Soldiers don’t suffer shellshock, but post-traumatic stress disorder.
This report from Russian TV examines the bureaucratic ”newspeak,” invoking George Carlin in the process. Of course, Russian politicians and media are just as adept as their American counterparts in lying to the public.
Wordniks Redefine Dictionary
Is the beloved paper dictionary doomed to extinction? In this infectiously exuberant talk, leading lexicographer Erin McKean looks at the many ways today’s print dictionary is poised for transformation. As the CEO and co-founder of new online dictionary Wordnik, Erin McKean is reshaping not just dictionaries but how we interact with language itself.
