The Language Wars
As a society becomes increasingly unstable, linguistic innovation happens more rapidly.
Very British Villains (and Other Anglo-Saxon Attitudes to Accents)
What do peoples' accents really reveal about them? The villainous British accent crystallizes the love-hate special relationship between the US and the UK.
The Genealogy of the Jewish Deli
The Jewish deli is a New York City tradition that has spread far beyond the city's limits. It's a tradition worthy of its own history.
Bad Language for Nasty Women (and Other Gendered Insults)
Is it true that "nasty" is more likely to be applied to describe women than men?
What the Folk? The Charming Yet Totally Malappropriate Story of Folk Etymology
Etymology is a funny thing. Even if you're not a word nerd, you might have wondered why so many English idioms we use are Just. So. Weird.
The Monstrous Words Lurking in Your Language
“You have hissed all my mystery lectures. I saw you fight a liar in the back quad; in ...
How Fashion Magazines Talked in the 1930s
The Splashy language of fashion magazines prompted one linguist to look closer at the over-the-top dialect in Vogue and Ladies’ Home Journal of the 30s
Putting Words in Your Mouth: The Whimsical Language of Food
Many whimsically named regional foods focus instead on telling a story that often sounds neither delicious nor sophisticated. How do such odd names stick?
Mele Kalikimaka! How To Say “Merry Christmas” In Hawaiian
Translating "Merry Christmas" into Hawaiian offers insight into the language's modest inventory of consonants.