Rowling and "Galbraith": an authorial analysis
The Sunday (UK) Times recently revealed that J.K. Rowling wrote the detective novel The Cuckoo's Calling under the pen name Robert Galbraith. The newspaper explained that, as part of their...
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"She used to report to Amy, then she got promoted to Manager and Amy...
You're talking to a coworker who's fairly new to your company. You've been at the company longer. You're explaining some of the history of your coworkers. She used to report to Amy, then she got...
View ArticleJuly Linkfest
Good news for “Downton Abbey” fans: your favorite posh soap opera will soon be an actual soap (and related beauty products). Bad news for American fans: the 10-piece collection will be sold only at...
View ArticleThe first LIVE PhraseMix English course
I recently asked PhraseMix readers what features they'd like to see next. The most popular idea was a live online class. So starting August 9th, I will be launching PhraseMix Academy. It's a 5-week...
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Peaky performance
Right now there is a giant spike of traffic to GamesWithWords.org, following Steve Pinker's latest tweet about one of the experiments (The Verb Quiz). I looked back over the five years since I started...
View ArticleChildren as a Source of Language
Important story in the New York Times today about Australian children creating a new language.
View ArticleJudgment leads to…
The latest xkcd explains: Mouseover message: "But the rules of writing are like magic spells. If you never acquire them, then not using them says nothing."
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"Your funds will be available in two to three business days."
You work at a bank. A customer is depositing his check. You tell him when he will be able to use that money. Your funds will be available in two to three business days.
View ArticleCURSING IN FINNISH.
A post at Stæfcræft & Vyākaraṇa quotes a sputtering Linus Torvalds:There aren't enough swear-words in the English language, so now I'll have to call you perkeleen vittupää just to express my...
View ArticleAnti-PRC sign in Syria
During the Arab Spring demonstrations, we saw many signs that attempted to reach a Chinese audience in Chinese: "Maybe Mubarak understands Chinese", 2/10/2011; "Chinese sign in Benghazi", 3/21/2011;...
View Article7/17/13 - apprentice
1. Someone under legal contract to work for someone else (a master) for a specified period of time in exchange for instruction in the master's trade. 2. A beginner at a trade, a novice, a tyro, a learner.
View ArticleCOMPLY OR….WHAT?
The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards has received widespread praise for its recommendations for reform. It’s almost universally acknowledged that public confidence in the financial...
View ArticleCartoon: Location, Location, Location
BACKGROUND A scathing report has been published on the high mortality numbers at various NHS hospitals in the country. It has been estimated that up to 13,000 people could have died needlessly at these...
View ArticleWord of the day: Balaclava
Balaclava is a type of headgear that covers most of the head but keeps the face exposed. The word originates from the town of Balaklava in the Ukraine. In British history the town is famous as being...
View ArticleWhen Somebody Tries to Get Your Goat
As a good old Russian saying goes, все болезни – от нервов (all illnesses are from stress). Actually, that’s only the first, the most-often quoted, half of the saying. Some say that yoga and meditation...
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PersianPod101.com: Learn Persian Quickly Online and Mobile with Audio-Video...
Proven Course Teaches Persian Quickly with Audio and Video Beginner and advanced levels alike will enjoy PersianPod101, an excellent online and mobile way to learn Persian quickly. PersianPod101's fun...
View ArticleFinns and their wedding traditions
Wedding has been and must be one of the most important and long awaited celebrations in Finland. In this article I would like to tell you more about Finnish wedding traditions, influence from other...
View ArticleSuomalaiset hääperinteet
Häät on varmastikin yksi tärkeimmistä juhlista Suomessa. Suomalaiset hääperinteet ovat saaneet vaikutteita muista maista ja kulttuureista. Ennen varsinaista hääpäivää Suomessa, sekä varmasti muissakin...
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"Deutsche Grammatik" wins German Grammar book title award
So I was kidding in that headline, but then you guys don't know how close I got to writing "this is my gram-ma(r)nifesto".Today I want to introduce a grammar book that has made explaining German a lot...
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Learn about Bengali on Wikipedia
Discover the Bengali Language If you're learning Bengali you may very well want to get an overview of the language, some of its unique features, geographical information about native speakers as well...
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