Word of the day: Umbrella
The word "umbrella" is derived from the Latin umbra meaning “shade”, and for centuries it was used principally as protection from the sun rather than the rain. Umbrellas were used in ancient Egypt,...
View ArticleSwedish false friends
When you are learning a new language the so called false friends can cause confusion, laughs or in the worst case you may even end up insulting someone (unintentionally of course). Many languages share...
View ArticleFalska vänner
När du studerar ett nytt språk så kan så kallade falska vänner orsaka förvirring, skratt eller i värsta fall även leda till förolämpningar (oavsiktligt naturligtvis). Många språk använder sig av ord...
View ArticleDespicable human scum
For those wondering why on earth an official announcement about the solemn business of executing a traitor would use wildly overheated language like "despicable human scum" and "worse than a dog"...
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Jus de chaussette
My mum’s coffee always felt dangerous. When I was at my parents’, I knew that coffee time was approaching when I started sweating spontaneously and my heart rate suddenly went nuclear for no apparent...
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Prepositioning ...
This blog is literally all about verbing. And we've talked some about nouning. But today's Bizarro takes us to a whole nother lexical category ...
View ArticleReuters Video: Santa Claus is getting ready for annual trip
Santa Claus calls on children to make friends and build friendships while his busiest time of year approaches its climax. Elly Park reports. TRANSCRIPT REPORTER: Christmas Eve is approaching fast and...
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Group: Northeastern Illinois president retaliated against professor - Chicago...
Group: Northeastern Illinois president retaliated against professorChicago TribuneAn American Association of University Professors committee found that the university provided no credible reason for...
View ArticleTo Boldy Go – Russian Verbs of Motion
Russian verbs of motion are notoriously difficult. Take, for example, the verb “to go” which can be translated as either идти or пойти. The rules seem pretty straight-forward: Идти, the imperfective...
View ArticleSanta Claus is Coming! Discover the Origin of the REAL St. Nick
Where in the world is he from? Santa Claus is among history’s most replicated personalities. He’s been portrayed in countless incarnations: from the rosy-cheeked animation in the Coca-Cola ads to...
View ArticleCartoon: I'm Dreaming Of A Wet Christmas
BACKGROUND Forecasters gave the ominous double warning as two vast weather depressions edged towards the UK. The second is expected to lead to an extremely stormy festive period over the entire...
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Citizen Science in Harvard Magazine
A nice, extended article on recent projects, covering a wide range -- including GamesWithWords.org. Check it out.
View ArticleDecember Linkfest
On the last linkfest of 2013, the Internet gave to me: The ugliest Christmas sweater of them all: From REI, so it isn’t just hideous, “it’s packed with technical features and built to withstand decades...
View ArticleThe Sounds of Language: Understanding the IPA, Part 1
What does the International Phonetic Alphabet have to do with MindMeld? Watch our Director of...
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Noche Oscura en Lima - Chapter 8
En la calle donde quedaba el cuerpo de Manuel había varios hombres. Llevaban luces y se ocupaban en examinar el cuerpo y la ropa del desgraciado mozo. El señor Grant...
View ArticleComo Aprender a Pronúncia das Palavras em Inglês?
Tenho recebido inúmeros emails de leitores querendo saber como aprender a pronúncia das palavras em inglês. Fiz uma rápida busca aqui no site e descobri que nunca escrevi sobre isso. Portanto, quero...
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Results (Round 1): Crowdsourcing the Structure of Meaning & Thought
Language is a device for moving a thought from one person's head into another's. This means to have any real understanding of language, we also need to understand thought. This is what makes work on...
View ArticleIs Your Website World Ready? Five tips to keep in mind…
Here’s my latest post for client Pitney Bowes: An excerpt: Avoid visual pitfalls. By editing the text to be world-ready, you’re halfway towards avoiding any “international incidents.” But you also need...
View ArticleThe Prolific Galen.
I have only just started James Romm’s LRB review of The Prince of Medicine: Galen in the Roman Empire by Susan Mattern, and I found the first two paragraphs so amazing that I have to share them: How...
View ArticleChristmas Traditions Around The World
Christmas is one of the most important celebrations of joy and happiness around the world. I personally enjoy Christmas with immense fervor and enthusiasm. In Argentina, we officially start getting...
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