Dear Language Nerd, I have some Christian friends who get really upset when they see “Xmas” in signs and things. Why do people write that, and why do others find it offensive? Thanks, Dawna S. *** Dear Dawna, The dislike of “Xmas” tends to stem from the feeling that it makes Christmas too secular. First, […]
Dear Language Nerd, Now that it’s become the most popular video on the internet, I’d really like to know: can you tell me what the hell is going on in Gangnam Style? From Tracie D. *** Dear Tracie, Gladly! Although it’s famous here in the West because of its extremely catchy silliness, Gangnam Style became […]
Dear Language Nerd, What do you think are the best and worst examples of language in fantasy novels? – Robert S. *** Dear Robert, Best is easy – for my money, there’s no one like Tolkien. Tolkien was a linguist first, author second, though damn good at both. He began by inventing his own language […]
Dear Language Nerd, I have a burning question about language! Is it “flammable” or “inflammable”? Yours, John R. *** Dear John, It’s both! But one is peskier than the other. “Flammable” and “inflammable” both mean “if you touch a match to this it will go up like the Fourth of July.” The “in-“ part of […]