Recent Posts - page 55

  • Literally

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    Kory Stamper’s typically excellent article in The Cut is literally the best thing ever. What did you think of that sentence? Did the figurative/emphatic use of literally bug you? If so — or even if not — you should read “The 300-Year… Read More ›

  • Loner

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    Take a look: he’s a nerdy Jewish kid from New Jersey, known as a “nice guy,” intellectually passionate but awkward in social situations. He’s starting his first day as a Harvard freshmen. How could I resist this 2016 novel by… Read More ›

  • Mars (the candy bar, not the planet)

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    The image below shows the trilingual wrapper of a candy bar abandoned by a film crew that had been shooting in South Boston near Dorchester. Can you figure out what the three languages are? Hint #1: I can’t speak any… Read More ›

  • Blinded by the Light (the movie)

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    What a terrific movie! You don‘t have to be a Springsteen fan to find it inspirational and completely engaging. You also don‘t have to be South Asian or British, even though your point of view would inevitably be affected if… Read More ›

  • Social gatherings

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  • Because Internet

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    Every language changes, as I occasionally have to remind my non-linguist friends when they complain about this or that. Some languages change more than others — English, for example, has changed much more quickly and more dramatically than, say, Icelandic… Read More ›

  • {Korean, Arabic} Script Hacking for Beginners

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    No. “Script hacking” does not refer to writing programs in JavaScript — or even AppleScript. In this context it refers to exploring and playing with a non-Roman alphabet. At this point, Teach Yourself Library has published five books in the Script… Read More ›

  • The Blarney Stone

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    Barbara had to work late continuing the endless task of cleaning out the Trybe house, so we went to the Blarney Stone around the corner for dinner. It was (perhaps surprisingly) really good — and (more surprisingly) it was relatively… Read More ›

  • How’s your German?

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    Did you miss the Barbra Trybe estate sale? This document looks to me like a Munich “fishing license for foreigners” from a century ago. My German is very rusty these days, so can anyone figure it out better than I… Read More ›

  • Opal and Sabine

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    Opal the Opossum and Sabine the Skunk, companionably sharing Piper’s food. (But where’s Piper?)

  • Should you read this book? Or just the review?

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    Occasionally the review is more informative and entertaining than the book itself. Consider a review of The 25 Rules of Grammar by Joseph Piercy. In case you’re confused, it’s the book that’s by Joseph Piercy; the review is by Joe… Read More ›

  • 110 Grill, South Bay

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    As long as we were at the South Bay Shopping Center yesterday, Barbara and I decided to reserve a table at the “new” 110 Grill through Open Table. (New to Dorchester, and new to us, that is. The restaurant is part… Read More ›

  • Scots: an indigenous language or a dialect?

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    Most Americans, I’m sure, hold an erroneous belief about languages in Scotland. Here are some common beliefs on this subject: Some Americans think that all Scots speak Gaelic. Not true. (And more on this one below.) Some — most, probably… Read More ›

  • Paper Son

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    A mystery focused on Chinese-owned grocery stores in the Mississippi Delta? Who knew! And I don’t mean some investment scheme by contemporary mainland Chinese; I mean Chinese families that have lived in Mississippi for a century now, i.e. American-born Chinese,… Read More ›

  • My dad, wearing many hats

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    “What does your dad do?” people used to ask me when I was a kid. Always my dad, not my mom, even though she too was a professional. Things have changed today (I think). This article is about my dad,… Read More ›

  • Found in a book… and some linguistic remarks

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    So I‘m sitting next to one of my bookshelves this morning, and I happen to notice an old French paperback. I say to myself “I wonder if I can still read French.” (The answer is “not so well.”) I pick… Read More ›

  • A noisy deal-breaker

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    …The space is also fashionably (some will say painfully) loud, to the point where conversation in the dining room at peak hours requires shouting. I understand why this is voguish — younger patrons equate quietness with death, and operators love… Read More ›

  • Before She Knew Him

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    If you like character-driven psychological thrillers, Peter Swanson’s Before She Knew Him may be the book for you. If you like mysteries but not thrillers, this might not be for you. I’m not going to summarize the plot. In fact, it’s… Read More ›

  • Mollie

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    Mollie usually prefers her kitty couch, but today she prefers sitting regally in the sunlight on the back of the humans’ couch:

  • A language game

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    Check out Dialect, a tabletop role-playing game based on linguistics! I’ve never tried it myself, mind you. But it certainly looks intriguing — for the right set of players. The question is, who has the time and the interest to… Read More ›