Male upspeak…
…is on the upswing. I’ve noticed it among the young. I’m a woman, but I’m not an upspeaker. That’s because I’m old. And very opinionated. Polite, but opinionated. And I don’t like upspeak, in men or women.
Continue reading →Category Archives: Language and grammar
Jonathan Chait on Eric Cantor’s defeat: undocumented
I was wondering what the left would have to say about it all—mostly, how the attack on Brat would start to be framed—and this article by Jonathan Chait was instructive but unsurprising in that regard: Brat’s a “Rand-loving right-wing crank.” … Continue reading →
The Bergdahl memes emerge
It became clear as soon as the background information about Bergdahl began coming out that the left would say the right was swiftboating Bergdahl. After all, as I wrote previously here, “swiftboating”: …has become a synonym for “a political low … Continue reading →
Baffled By the Lyrics
Surely you remember the Manfred Mann mid-70s hit “Blinded By the Light.” It’s a pretty nifty song, with an earworm-inducing hook. But the rest of the lyrics are unintelligible. It doesn’t really matter, because it’s so catchy. But no, that … Continue reading →
The boy she loves is a Romeo
Want a break from politics? Let’s take a look at that 1965 song “Back in My Arms Again,” one of my favorites by the Supremes. Note how subtle and classy the sexuality of their performance is compared to today’s pop … Continue reading →
You had me at hello
I remember reading decades ago about how quickly we judge people when we first meet them. Yes or no, stay or move on? This 1986 book said the judgments all happen within four minutes, but my impression is that it’s … Continue reading →
All Things Scottish
After I posted that video about voice recognition systems and accents, a reader kindly sent me a link to this one: The Scots accent is inherently funny (is that un-PC to say, or is it okay because they’re white?) because … Continue reading →
Maureen Dowd…
…probably should not venture into the world of Yiddish. Oy, vey! It will only give her tsuris instead of nachas. Note to MoDo: not all “kve” words are alike.
Continue reading →Churchill and speechmaking
Last night when I was engaged in not watching Obama’s SOTU speech, I was thinking of the antidote: Churchill. I even wrote a couple of notes for this post. And funny thing, today I see that commenter “Beverly” had the … Continue reading →
The anti-Christie forces have settled on a meme…
…and the meme is “bully.” Which I think is an interesting word to use for a politician. “Bully” conjures up all the current anti-bullying campaigns that have to do with school and the playground, but politics is not the schoolyard … Continue reading →
Where are you guys from?
Or where are y’all from, if you’re from the South. I took the test and it pegged me quite accurately. It said that I’m from New York City (alternatives, Yonkers or Newark). I guess you can take the girl out … Continue reading →
Obama and Castro: together again
Who would have thought a single comma—or lack thereof—would make such a difference?: Britain’s Sky News posted this bulletin about the Nelson Mandela memorial service at 6:36 p.m. London time Tuesday: “Top stories: World leaders at Mandela tribute, Obama-Castro handshake … Continue reading →