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My slang lexicography, now up on Merriam-Webster
I wrote about a wide variety of slang and trending terms for an impressive new section on Merriam-Webster. Read more.
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Newsy etymology: mercy, oligarchy, palisade, Greenland, emphysema, severance
“Greenland” originated as a sales pitch. “Merchandise” lies behind “mercy.” And little separates “severance” and “separation.” Read more.
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“Habitat”: a natural, and etymological, history
How a frequentative verb connects Jimmy Carter and Carl Linnaeus Read more.
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Chatting 2024 Words of the Year with Grammar Girl
Watch and listen to John Kelly chat about the 2024 Words of the Year with Mignon Fogarty on the delightful and distinguished Grammar Girl podcast. Read more.
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Why does a ball drop on New Year’s Eve?
The ball drop is based on a system that once helped ships set their clocks—and navigate—in the 1800s. Read more.
Mashed Radish 