AltWeeklies Wire
You Write "Theatre," I Write "Theater"new
Why are some folks so passionate in their preference for "theatre" or "theater"? History illuminates the sociopolitical aspects of the argument.
Oops, My Bad! The Sorry State of Saying 'I'm Sorry'new
The "perfect" apology, if there is such a thing, can be whittled into three pieces, each of which is well illustrated in a letter that Emily Post dreamt up for 1922's Etiquette.
C-Ville Weekly |
Andrew Cedermark |
11-25-2009 |
Commentary
Jesse Sheidlower Gives the F-Word its Duenew
Until 1970, with the release of M.A.S.H., audiences had never heard the f-word in a mainstream Hollywood film. Who catalogs this stuff, and why? Jesse Sheidlower, an editor-at-large of the Oxford English Dictionary, and the author of The F-Word, can't stop talking about fuck.
Boston Phoenix |
Justine Elias |
09-16-2009 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
The Collapse of ObamaCare is Rooted in Unclear Communication
A poll says that 67 percent of Americans don't understand Obama's healthcare plan. I'm one of them.
We Need to Encourage Young Folks to Put Down Technology and Pick Up Booksnew
Be wary of the tube! If you prize the language, tame the idiot box!
Tucson Weekly |
Leo W. Banks |
05-27-2009 |
Commentary
Comparing Jay Bybee's Torture Memos & 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'new
For Bybee as much as for Thompson, reality must be mitigated, banished or defeated. Thompson uses drugs, and Bybee plays with the law until it goes blind.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Richard Abowitz |
05-14-2009 |
Commentary
If Not for a Special Election, English Only Would Have Prevailed in Nashvillenew
It's heartening that the Nashville's progressives seem able to stop daydreaming about love and harmony long enough to run an effective campaign. But not by any stretch is this the dawning of a new day or a crippling blow to intolerance in our city.
Nashville Scene |
Jeff Woods |
01-30-2009 |
Policy Issues
Ask a Mexican: Cursing Kiddies, Dancing Gabachos, y Mucho Mas!new
A special four-pregunta edition.
Tags: language, humor & satire
How 'Douchebag' Became Everyone's Favorite Insultnew
James Matisoff, an emeritus professor in UC Berkeley's linguistics department, concurs that douchebag's pejoration -- its change from neutral to negative meaning -- has snowballed in recent years. The culprits: Jon Stewart and his comedic brethren.
SF Weekly |
Joe Eskenazi |
01-07-2009 |
Commentary
Pain -- and Possibility -- Arise as the Language of Race Decaysnew
The way out of this -- past notions of racial purity and beyond words like "multi-racial" and "other" -- need not be difficult. It will require us to recognize the faulted language we've inherited and consciously opt to ditch it.
Arkansas Times |
Mara Leveritt |
12-11-2008 |
Race & Class
The Angry Grammarian: Forgetting Sarah Palinnew
Perhaps the most prized spoil of the election is the richest word to enter the lexicon in a long time. Like all the best neologisms, it's descriptive, it's self-explanatory and it just makes you feel so good: "Palinfreude."
Philadelphia Weekly |
Jeffrey Barg |
11-17-2008 |
Commentary
The Word Police May Do More Harm Than Goodnew
Whining and complaining every time somebody says something that might possibly hurt somebody's feelings, well, that's just so ... oh, I don't know, fascist, I guess.
Tucson Weekly |
Tom Danehy |
11-14-2008 |
Commentary
Can a D.C. Charter School Tackle the World's Toughest Language?new
Mary Shaffner, the executive director of Yu Ying Public Charter School, uses the word "trauma" when referring to the students' potential problems adjusting to school. These kids are joining the one in five people on this planet who speak Mandarin Chinese.
Washington City Paper |
Marina Koestler Ruben |
11-13-2008 |
Education
Language Barriers at Texas' Child Protective Servicesnew
For the first year, Baby Raymond lived happily with his family. Then the agency took him away and even though his Chinese-American family fought to get him back, they couldn't find the right words.
Houston Press |
Craig Malisow |
09-23-2008 |
Children & Families
Steven Pinker Drops the F-Bomb on Americanew
Harvard linguist Steven Pinker gives the most intellectually rigorous examination of a curse word since On Bullshit.
Boulder Weekly |
Dylan Otto Krider |
09-11-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
