Dr. Google seems to think that BSL stands for either British Sign Language or Breed-Specific Legislation or maybe even Biosafety Level. “But what,” you ask, “do any of those have to do with lobster?” Nothing, of course. That’s because BSL… Read More ›
In accordance with tradition, Barbara and I had our Christmas dinner yesterday at a Chinese restaurant: Chau Chow in Dorchester. It was more a feast than a dinner, leaving plenty of yummy leftovers. Unfortunately they were sold out of roast… Read More ›
Julie Golick posted the following observations to Facebook in 2018. In response to several requests, she then made the post shareable by all . Every year, I run into a discussion about how Christmas isn’t REALLY religious anymore and about… Read More ›
This book reminds me of the caller who asked the Magliozzi brothers a question about his Volkswagen Quantum: he couldn’t get it repaired because he didn’t know any Quantum mechanics. What’s the connection? Well, first you need to know what… Read More ›
Six days ago I gave you a linguistics quiz that Lynne Murphy designed for the holiday season. The quiz is reprinted below so you don’t have to flip back and forth. Here are the answers, with annotations in some cases:… Read More ›
…we always want to return to our local favorite where everybody knows your name. In our case, that’s the Ashmont Grill, with excellent food, first-class service, and the feeling of being home. So Barbara and I had our penultimate 2022… Read More ›
Four days ago I gave you a linguistics quiz that Lynne Murphy designed for the holiday season. The quiz is reprinted below so you don’t have to flip back and forth. Full answers will be posted on Tuesday. For the… Read More ›
Apparently I’m late jumping on the bandwagon. Everywhere I look, someone else is trying out ChatGPT and commenting on it. This app is supposed to respond like a real human being, given any particular prompt you may type. So I… Read More ›
Flicka is feeling Turkish and has found the best place to nap on a sunny day:
You have been selected to take this language/linguistics quiz written by an American-British linguist. No fair asking Dr. Google or anyone else for help! Hints will be posted on Sunday, answers on Tuesday.
You can believe actual data. We’ll call that Door #1. Or you can believe your general “impression.” We’ll call that Door #2. Or you can believe what other people tell you—the “common knowledge” that everyone “knows.” We’ll call that Door… Read More ›
According to the U.S. Census, far fewer than one tenth of one percent of Massachusetts residents identify as Thai. So why are there so many Thai restaurants? For instance, on Dorchester Avenue alone we have three: Just Thai, Thai Oishi,… Read More ›
Pizza and pasta: that’s what 72% of all Americans think Italian food consists of. But we know better here in Dorchester. There’s no need to drive to the North End, where it’s impossible to park. Just go to Chris Douglass’s… Read More ›
As a teacher, would you prefer hearing from Parent A or Parent B? Parent A: “My ten-year-old finished her calculus course: here is her picture to post on your blog.” Parent B: “My daughter can’t do math, but I told… Read More ›
Agatha Christie died in 1976. So how could she be publishing a collection of new Miss Marple stories in 2022? Did she leave them behind, only to be discovered four decades later and published posthumously? That’s certainly what a glance… Read More ›
“At least half of what Sagan says about history is outright false, but his authority is still seemingly unimpeachable today, forty-two years after the programme first aired.” So says the distinguished “Kiwi Hellenist”, Peter Gainsford, who is a classicist from New… Read More ›
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