…wonder no more. Some time ago, the teaching of writing liberated itself from the surly bonds of clarity, rules, and white oppression (is that redundant?) and escaped to touch the face of diversity and self-expression. Now, huge numbers of writing … Continue reading →
Those cruel and racist Republicans have introduced a bill to declare English the official language of the US and to require a basic knowledge of it in order to become a citizen (although there would be some exceptions for unusual … Continue reading →
I recently read Savage Beauty, a biography of American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. There are several passages in the book that describe the power of Millay’s voice and its remarkable ability to transfix and even seduce (in Millay’s case, … Continue reading →
You know, I just don’t regard Sarah Palin’s WTF as a big f-ing deal. [NOTE: It may be time to recycle this post.]
Continue reading →CNN’s John King has apologized for guest Andy Shaw’s use of the now-forbidden word “crosshairs” in describing the Chicago mayoral race. Bravo! Let’s just ban all non-literal speech, metaphors and colorful language of any kind. Let’s ban not only guns, … Continue reading →
The New York accent seems to be on its way out. Not only is it less common than it used to be, but scads of New Yorkers are hiring speech therapists to rid themselves of theirs, which are seen as … Continue reading →
John Tyner has become a YouTube folk hero for declining a TSA patdown in no uncertain terms when he told the screener, “If you touch my junk, I’m going to have you arrested.” The usually astute Charles Krauthammer demonstrates that … Continue reading →
…but Sarah Palin’s “refudiate” wins the title “word of the year” from the New Oxford American Dictionary. And to top it all off, her new reality show about Alaska gets TLC’s highest ever ratings for a program’s premiere. [NOTE: This … Continue reading →
…what you think it means: Pelosi’s word, by the way, is “momentum.” I think she’s using it to mean, “nowhere to go but up.” The phrase occurs around 8:10 here:I listened to the whole thing, quite fascinated with Pelosi’s arguments … Continue reading →
I was talking to a friend the other day and the word “scurry” came up, as in “we’ve got to scurry out of here.” I joked that a better word would be “skedaddle,” and maybe even “scoot” or “scram.” And … Continue reading →
Is anyone else annoyed by the recurrent newish phrase “baby bump” to refer to a pregnancy, especially involving a celebrity starlet? Having been pregnant, I have to say it’s a lot more than a bump. And the phrase “baby bump” … Continue reading →
One of the most perverse things about Obama is that, when he’s trying to get tough with the opposition, what he says about them is often the best clue to what he’s actually doing, or planning to do. Case in … Continue reading →