Author Archive

Articles by Merrill Perlman | Email the Author

 

1. Language Corner

   Damning With Excessive Praise

   November 3, 2008 03:04 PM

   Language is communication, but it works only if the communicators understand one other. If you think a word means one thing, and the person you’re talking to thinks it means something else, what we have here is failure to communicate.... Continue reading

2. Language Corner

   When A Plus Is A Minus

   October 27, 2008 03:13 PM

   Last week, some people who read here that “bemused” doesn’t mean “wryly amused” may have been “nonplussed.” “Nonplussed” is another word that looks like something it’s not. Here are two passages from the same publication within three days... Continue reading

3. Language Corner

   Bemusement Park

   October 20, 2008 03:59 PM

   Here’s the lede on one article about the final presidential candidates’ debate: “Calmly swatting away John McCain’s aggression in their last debate the other night, Barack Obama repeatedly flashed his beautiful smile—that silky version of the Palin wink—confidently signaling voters... Continue reading

4. Language Corner

   Rescuing the Bailout

   October 13, 2008 03:13 PM

   Politics, especially in the few weeks before an election, is full of semantics, but this year seems particularly fraught. Take as just one example the Talmudic discussion over the government’s gigantic financial package to stanch economic bleeding. Is it a... Continue reading

5. Language Corner

   Mass Appeal

   October 6, 2008 03:41 PM

   In most of her speeches, and in her debate last week with Joe Biden, Sarah Palin seems to be speaking directly to the “hoi polloi.” That previous sentence is likely to elicit outrage from two places: the people who believe... Continue reading

6. Language Corner

   Getting To The Top

   September 30, 2008 08:04 AM

   “Daring project reaches a crescendo,” read a headline in the Albany Times-Union the other day. It struck a chord. Anyone who’s ever studied music, or knows even a little bit about it, knows that a “crescendo” is a gradual increase... Continue reading

7. Language Corner

   Where Have All The Commas Gone?

   September 23, 2008 04:44 PM

   (Voice of police dispatcher): “Calling all cars! Calling all cars! Be on the lookout for escaped commas. Last seen after years that follow dates, and after state names that follow cities. Can be recognized by their downward curves. Please recapture... Continue reading

8. Language Corner

   Not Without Regard

   September 15, 2008 03:23 PM

   One problem with having so many dictionaries available is that they often don’t agree—on definitions, spellings or even whether something is a “real” word. Irregardless, having so many dictionaries available allows one to trace how “non-words” become “real words.” If... Continue reading

9. Language Corner

   Judgment Day

   September 8, 2008 02:39 PM

   The military trials planned for prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, have been referred to as occurring in “a star chamber” or “a kangaroo court.” Without understanding the legitimacy of the label (or of the proceedings), that designation could be just... Continue reading

10. Language Corner

    But It’s Alright

    September 1, 2008 12:20 PM

    It’s never all right to use “alright,” right? Let’s discuss, already. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English says it best: “All right is the only spelling Standard English recognizes.” “Standard English,” of course, is that which... Continue reading

11. Language Corner

    Comma Suture

    August 25, 2008 01:31 PM

    The selection of Senator Joe Biden to be Barack Obama’s running mate has revived the debate over a statement Biden made to The New York Observer in early 2007. “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is... Continue reading

12. Language Corner

    It’s Your Cull

    August 18, 2008 02:49 PM

    If you’re a poker player, when you “cull” the cards you have selected a bunch of good cards and arranged to deal them to yourself or someone you want to win. (That’s cheating, by the way.) But if you’re a... Continue reading

13. Language Corner

    When Loosing Is Winning

    August 11, 2008 02:03 PM

    A lot of people seem to be loosing their minds lately, or at least their grips on their dictionaries. “Loosing teeth, but keeping faith” read one headline. It’s possible the editor meant “loosening.” But what about all the articles that... Continue reading

14. Language Corner

    Richter Mortis

    August 4, 2008 02:56 PM

    The recent earthquake in Southern California unearthed a reason to celebrate. Not because it wasn't the Big One, or even the Pretty Big One, but because so few media outlets measured it on the Richter scale. Charles F. Richter, a... Continue reading

15. Language Corner

    Check Your Herring

    July 28, 2008 08:42 AM

    Many language lovers’ favorite time is when a dictionary is updated, because they can see what new words make the cut as being “real” English. Merriam-Webster is releasing an updated Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary this fall, and has already posted some... Continue reading

16. Language Corner

    Absent Without Leave

    July 21, 2008 12:39 PM

    John Cochran, a writer-editor for the federal government, writes: Here’s a construction I don’t like: ‘Absent some better way … ‘ I’m not sure why, but that use of ‘absent’ really rubs me the wrong way. Thoughts? “Absent” is... Continue reading

17. Language Corner

    And Another Think

    July 17, 2008 09:00 AM

    If you think you've heard all of the linguistic twists and turns, you've got another thing coming. Well, actually you've got another "think" coming. But ask most people how to spell the phrase that means you get another chance,... Continue reading

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