The past couple of weeks I’ve been wandering around in Sydney, Australia, so it seems fitting to make today’s post a roundup of fun and informative links about the ways that English happens down here. The Macquarie Dictionary and ABC bring you the Australian Word Map, where you can learn about all sorts of Australian […]
Lexical Vexations allude v. to reference indirectly. elude v. to escape or evade. Words in the Wild: Whatever Prof. Dobson was alluding to in his mention of academic misconduct seemed to elude Sarah’s notice altogether—she continued to copy the contents of her arm onto her test paper, unabashed and unabated. Still vexed? You can find […]
Lexical Vexations systematic adj. following a devised plan in a methodological way. systemic adj. relating to a complex but cohesive system. This was originally a term specific to the body (ex. systemic infection) but is now used to describe other complex systems as well (ex. systemic racism in governments). Word in the Wild: The only […]
Twists & Turns of Phrase When something is held by the dead hand of something else, it is being prevented from attaining its goals. For instance, social progress might be held back by the dead hand of the status quo. By extension we also get the adjective dead-handed, which means oppressive and out-dated. For example, a teenager might […]
Lexical Vexations Today’s post was requested by reader Elaine, who writes, “Please add ‘Then vs Than.’ Then refers to a time element; than is used in a comparative sense.” As you can see Elaine has a lockdown on this tricky pair, but she’s picked a perfect lexical vexation. These words refer to pretty abstract ideas […]
Lexical Vexations ordinance n. a municipal regulation. ordnance n. military supplies, esp. artillery Word in the Wild: If you’re researching your next move and the city’s website keeps mentioning various municipal ordnances, you may want to consider moving somewhere a little safer. Perhaps a municipality with an ordinance against the use of heavy artillery? Still vexed? You […]
Lexical Vexations eek interj. an expression of fright or surprise. eke v. to extract with great toil; often used in the phrase eke out. Words in the Wild: Sharon opened her latest credit card statement with trepidation, and when she saw the balance due let out a shrill “Eek!” Here she’d been trying so hard […]
Twists & Turns of Phrase If you’re riding shotgun these days, you’re probably in the front passenger seat of your buddy’s car. Origins: But most of the lore agrees that this term dates back to the Wild West and refers to the person who would sit next to the driver of a stage coach, protecting whatever […]
Well, it’s pretty busy in Word Blog land, which is why I haven’t been quite so diligent about posting new entries. I’m taking courses in digital publishing and scholarly publishing these days, and showing up for work, too, so there hasn’t been as much time to hang out here. When I finish these courses in […]
Lexical Vexations lightening v. inflected form of the verb to lighten, as of weight, illumination, or colour. lightning n. the discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. Words in the Wild: The horizon had been lightening by degrees for the past half hour when the storm blew through and lightning flashed, illuminating the city. The contributor of […]