Mashed Radish

The etymological network of “net”

Say the phrase the net today, and surely the first thing that springs to mind is the internet. It even sounds outdated, conjuring up fossil browsers like Netscape, as we mostly just refer to the technology as the internet or being online. Net does survive in the expression net neutrality, the principle that internet service Read more.

John Kelly

December 18, 2017

Feature
Book review: The Story of “Be” by David Crystal

’Tis the season for ’tis the season, that yuletide cliché stuffing headlines and ad copy like so many Christmas stockings. This season, though, I got to thinking about ’tis itself, that old-timey-sounding contraction of it is. In one of his latest books, The Story of Be: A Verb’s-Eye View of the English Language (Oxford University Read more.

John Kelly

December 12, 2017

Review
From wedges to windfalls: the origin of “coin”

In one of my recent Weekly Word Watches for the Oxford Dictionaries blog, I highlighted bitcoin, the cryptocurrency whose valuation continues to skyrocket. As I explain in the article, the bit in bitcoin – a coinage attributed to its mysterious creator(s) Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 – was shortened from binary digit in 1948. Binary digits Read more.

John Kelly

December 8, 2017

Feature
“Calling to mind” the roots of the word “monument”

As Confederate monuments are coming down across American cities, President Trump is taking action to cut back national monuments in the American wilderness. This week, he announced efforts to slash the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. The move is meeting with demonstrations and admonitions from environmentalists and Native Americans, among others, Read more.

John Kelly

December 5, 2017

Feature
Why are moments called watershed?

On Thursday, New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand commented on the ongoing allegations of sexual harassment against prominent men in politics and entertainment, notably including Matt Lauer and Garrison Keillor just this week: I think we are in a watershed moment where it’s going to be an important change for our women, for our daughters, Read more.

John Kelly

December 1, 2017

Feature

The etymological network of “net”

Book review: The Story of “Be” by David Crystal

From wedges to windfalls: the origin of “coin”

“Calling to mind” the roots of the word “monument”

Why are moments called watershed?