Why do people in the South say “merry” and “marry” and “Mary” the same? Bob *** Dear Bob, Why the South? That’s the way it’s done all across the States. Well, mostly. There are a handful of people who make three different sounds here, which I’mma go over with that International Phonetic Alphabet we learned […]
Dear language nerd, The other day, my cousin asked me if I had drunk the last cup of coffee, and if I had made more. Being the incredibly important and popular person I am, I replied yes to the first and no to the second. I’m way too cool for that task. She then responded […]
Why is it that when people say “have to” as two words it’s got a “v,” but when they run it together it’s an “f,” “hafta”? -FML *** Dear… really? FYL? Bummer. They mostly don’t say “have to” with a “v” in the first place. “I have six cows” has a “v,” or “I have […]
What is a metaphor and what are some examples of metaphors [no name given] *** Dear 7th-Grader Asking Me to Do Your Homework, Kid, I am not only down for this, I am amped about it.* This is the perfect excuse for me to dig into the only thing rattling around in my head at […]
Dear Language Nerd, As often happens, I recently preceded an observation with “I wonder what….” I frequently see that sort of thing with a question mark at the end, but it’s obviously not a question. Equally obviously, a question is implied. So my question to YOU is: I wonder what the term is for this […]
I was astonished to learn today that “Pilsner” is not a brand of beer, but a category. First I thought, what on Earth does “Pilsner” mean? Then I thought, wait, do I really know what “ale” or “lager” means, either? Help me out, Language Nerd. Where do our beer words come from? Henry B. *** […]
You people got a word for two-dollar words that suddenly appear everywhere, like a fad? Want to coin one? And does anybody track these things? Delphine Sultzer *** Sure. We’ve got several words, actually. But most of them have to do with how a new word is formed, rather than that sense that the word […]
What is the plural of conundrum? Conundra or conundrums? Phil *** Dear Phil, So first we are going to talk about loanword integration. Then we’ll hit up Latin in particular. And then, then, there will be a SHOCKING TWIST ENDING. Everybody ready? Let’s roll. The English language is chock-a-block with loanwords, which might as well […]
Do we use “catchy” for anything other than “tunes”? Me *** Dear You, Not often. “Catchy” used to have a wider meaning, for anything that caught or stuck in the mind. Songs, sure, but also regular prose words, like all those clever quotes that get misattributed to Oscar Wilde. Or even tricky questions, since they […]
Hey Language Nerd, I’ve been seeing a commercial lately for a toenail-fungus remover called, in all seriousness, “Jublia.” WTF? “Jublia”?? How do medicines get these ridiculous names? JRN *** Dear JRN, I’m guessing they went with “Jublia” in hopes that their customers would make the cognitive leap to “jubilant” and “jubilee.” Because nothing brings out […]