Category: Uncategorized
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job
The word job has a big job in our language. Primary school teachers reinforce their pupils with “Good job!” stickers on homework assignments. When we meet somebody new, jobs are among our first questions. And monthly jobs reports have the power to shift political landscapes. We land first jobs, which are often summer jobs. Told not quit our day jobs,…
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quarantine
As Ebola rages on, you may be hearing a lot of numbers in the news: 1976, marking the year when the virus was first identified Over 7,000, registering the total number of cases documented Over 3,000, the number of lives the outbreak has claimed 21 days, indicating the disease’s incubation period But one number you…
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yes
Scotland may have voted “no” a week ago, but the voice of “yes” was definitely heard. Indeed, etymologically, yes has some strong pipes–and, like aye and nought, not a few tricks up its sleeve. Yes Historically, yes was a stronger affirmation than yea. Perhaps we can compare the yea of old to today’s yep. Yes was also relied upon to answer negative questions: “Don’t you want to see a…
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lexicon valley
I want to take a break for a moment from my own content to share with you some other content that entertains, edifies, and enriches me on a regular basis: Lexicon Valley, a blog and podcast on all things language published by Slate. Perhaps you already know about the enterprise, but if you don’t, I suggest…
Mashed Radish 