When Pittsburgh Met Paris: How We Love to Cite Cities
Places have enhanced our language in expressions we can’t do without. Cities conjure up locations on …
Category: News
“Does anyone here speak English?”
Native English-speakers looking to converse in their language when they travel in a foreign country …
From a Dog’s Life to Top Dog: Canine Influences on Vocabulary
“You’re not a dog I know”, you might think as you see a canine wandering …
Doublespeak: Power Up, Soften Down
US President Trump tries to strong-arm Congress on Obamacare, Germany is seen to bully …
When Is the GOAT Not a Goat?
Not only the name of a hardy, domesticated ruminant mammal, “goat” is also a …
Do “Alternative Facts” and “Post-Truth” Forebode an Orwellian Future?
American pundits talk about the “Fox” view of the world, a reference to the …
Are We Getting the Facts or a “Narrative”?
Facts making space for alternative facts, the post-truth age subordinating reality to emotion and personal …
15 Doublespeak Examples To Detect
Is doublespeak unavoidably negative? If you’re committed to digging underneath its ostensibly euphemistic sheen, …
Wicked Word Alert
What’s an egghead or a freeloader? They were once put-downs or even insults, although today …
More Needless Words to Cut
As noted in a previous post, whole phrases – not just individual words – …