Tag: English
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Rowing, rivers, and rulers: 5 “Russian” roots
“Russia” isn’t Russian, the Kremlin was once one of many, and Vladimir Putin would really like what his name literally means. With increasing evidence for Russian interference in the US’s 2016 elections, and persistent ambiguity concerning Trump’s relationship with the country, news reports are littered with Kremlin‘s and Vladimir‘s. And at least etymologically, Russia indeed is the one “steering…
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What is the “mail” in “blackmail”?
The origin of blackmail has nothing to do with dark letters. This week, a sensational yet unverified dossier leaked that alleges Russia has “compromising personal and financial information” it could use to blackmail President-elect Donald Trump. While we wait to learn more about the allegations, let’s get to the bottom of another matter. Where does…
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“Names in the News” at Nameberry
Guest-blogging on Nameberry Back in September, I started guest-blogging on Nameberry, a leading baby name website created by name experts Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz. Alongside an active forum, thematic lists of baby names, and a daily blog, Nameberry features a searchable database of over 50,000 names, including trends on their popularity. As a…
Mashed Radish 