Sound It Out, Part 1: A Matter of Some Consonants
Dear Language Nerd, Do all languages use the same sounds? -Sally Kimball *** Dear Sally, Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo. … ….. … All right, long answer with actual facts and stuff. But you asked for it: We make language sounds by exhaling* air and then blocking or partially blocking that airflow […]
The League Has Moved!
Hey, everybody, welcome to our new website! The League is coming to the Big Leagues!* Everything should be up and running, but if you see any broken links or other problems, please shoot us an e-mail at asktheleagueofnerds@gmail.com. Thanks for all the support you’ve given us in our first year, which is what made this […]
The Names of Days
Dear Language Nerd, What do the names of the days mean? Ok, “Sunday” I think I can guess, but “Tuesday”? Is “Friday” related to French fries? -Katon Lannis *** Dear Katon, Last year at this time, I talked about the meanings of the names of the months, so it seems apropos to start off 2014 […]
The Many Names of Good Saint Nick
Dear Language Nerd, Where did Santa Claus pick up the name Kris Kringle? Or, for that matter, St. Nicholas? And how did he earn the title of Father Christmas? Frankly, having so many aliases only makes his breaking into houses all the more suspicious. -Mr. Heat Miser *** Dear Mr. Hundred-And-One, Well, merry Christmas to […]
Cursives, Foiled Again!
Dear Language Nerd, My nephew’s school is considering removing cursive script from the curriculum, and surprisingly many people feel very very strongly about it, on both sides. Care to weigh in? Yours, A. S. D. Curmeck *** Dear A.S.D., I’ve never had to teach cursive myself, but I sure had to learn it, and the […]
The Biscuit Schism
Dear Language Nerd, I know what a British biscuit is, but I gather that the American version is different. Are they a kind of scone? And why the change in meaning across the pond? Victoria *** Dear Victoria, Most of the differences between British and American vocabulary amount to mild amusements. “Tee hee, you go […]
Tardigrades: NASA’s Tiny Spacewalkers
Continuing our series on the cutest invertebrates you didn’t know existed. Dear Biology Nerd, I heard something about a “water bear” and I want to see them, but I think they’re microscopic. What are they and are they as cuddly as they sound? -Katie Mascia *** Dear Katie, “Water bears” are easily some of the […]
Baby Got Back-Formation
Dear Language Nerd, What is it called when you add a special ending to a word to make a new word? Like “intuit” + “tion” = “intuition.” Thanks, Cole *** Dear Cole, Ok. First I’m going to answer the question you think you asked. Then I’m going to answer the question you really asked. Hope […]
The Matter of Art
Dear Art Nerd, Does art matter? *** Well, you see- *** Prove it. -Karen M. *** Oh, for the love of-! Have you ever seen anything that’s ever been designed before? Like, say, a car, a building or a computer case? Almost everything has been designed by some artist in order to be aesthetically pleasing. […]
How to Remember… Um, Something
Dear Language Nerd, You’re learning Turkish faster than me and it’s pissing me off. How can I learn it faster when my memory is so bad? From Your Roommate, Sal *** Dear Sal, No worries, roomie, here are my rad tips for vocabulary learnin’. Today, we’ll focus on vocab, not grammar or politeness or other […]