All In a Word
Hearing isn’t always believing with ‘mondegreens’Millions heard Taylor Swift singing “All the lonely Starbucks lovers” instead of her actual line, “Got a long list of ex-lovers.” What’s that called?
A lighter side of quid pro quoThis is a language column, so we won’t go into the politics of the impeachment. Instead, let’s talk about the complicated origins of “quid pro quo.”
The word columnist offers a mea culpaI have been writing “In a Word” for almost two years, and I have made mistakes. To the readers who have written in when I have erred: This is for you.
Not the same old folderol: ‘Nonsense’ wordsEnglish has so many creative ways to proclaim that something is ‘nonsense.’ Part 2 of a series on the nuts and bolts of humorous words.
Foolish talk leads to a bunch of ‘malarkey’No one, or at least no member of Congress, says malarkey more than Joe Biden does. Its connotation is avuncular and proudly old-fashioned.
The most searched-for words of 2019The top words of the year in 2019 reflected shifting attitudes toward gender identity, along with an increase in anxiety about climate change.
What should we call the decade that just ended?If you have a dim view of the past 10 years, you could call it the “Ten-sions”; if you look on the bright side, you might use the “One-ders.”
Christmas by any other nameThe word Christmas itself is a relatively recent introduction, dating “only” from 1123. You might be surprised to hear what came before it.
When should you accept ‘fulsome’ praise?The more research I did into the history of fulsome, the more confused I became. This slippery word has distinct, sometimes contradictory meanings.
‘And/or’ part 2: The fault lies not in conjunctions, but in ourselvesThe term “and/or” rapidly became known for producing more problems than it solved, especially in the legal realm. Can sign language save us?- No good substitute for the clumsy ‘and/or’And/or may not be beautiful, but it usually does the job. It seems we are stuck with it – but perhaps Boolean logical operators offer a solution.
Be Thankful, Stand Fast, and other Puritan namesPuritans frequently bestowed “grace names” as a way of encouraging children to strive for moral goodness.
A ‘murder of crows’ and other collective nounsDid you know there’s a special word for a group of cats? Welcome to Part 2 in our series on the strange world of collective nouns.
Fun with words: Inventing cool collective nounsHas anyone in all seriousness ever said, “Oh no, I’m right in the middle of a smack of jellyfish!”? Welcome to the strange world of collective nouns.
‘Impeachment’ has nothing to do with fruitEtymologically speaking, an impeachment hinders or impedes an unlawful or suspicious statement or course of action.
‘Kangaroo court’ has a peculiarly American pastWhat does U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise's hashtag #KangarooCourt – a nickname for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump – even mean?
Hyperbole creeps into the use of ‘unprecedented’There is little truly new under the sun; unprecedented should thus be an uncommon word. The fact that you often hear it means it’s being overused.
Words that ooze superiority and privilegeIt takes a pricey education to understand classical tongues. That’s why Latin-based pleb and hoi polloi are choice barbs used by the “upper class.”
It is the queen’s prerogative to grant a prorogationWhat does it mean when newspapers say Boris Johnson prorogued Parliament, and why did his actions set off a constitutional crisis?
Poking holes in pretentiousness with ‘highfalutin’There are plenty of words that can be used to poke fun at pretentiousness. Let’s take a look at the wonderful highfalutin, hoity-toity, and la-di-da!
