After reading my two-parter about why it can be so hard to talk about depression, a friend sent me this article: 18 Words for Sadness & Depression That Don’t Exist in English. It is exactly what it sounds like. Some of the words are helpful. For instance, the Pitjantjatjara (aboriginal Australian) word “Watjilpa” apparently describes…
It’s common to hear people complaining that America doesn’t use the metric system. It’s easier, it’s universally understood (outside of America), it brings the scientific community together, and on and on. Do these same people believe that everyone should just start speaking the same language? If not, what’s the relevant difference?
Self-proclaimed grammar nerds are a bit odd. They seem to enjoy being persnickety about the way people use language. Good for them. It’s nice that they can enjoy themselves. Some of their favorite issues are the misuse of “there,” “their,” and “they’re” or “your” and “you’re.” Personally I’m not even sure that they qualify as…
I care about language. But, when it comes to language, I am very much a descriptivist rather than a prescriptivist. Basically that means that I don’t really care about how people should use language, I care about how people do use language. If you want to use “literally” figuratively, go for it. I’m cool with…
The passive voice should be appreciated. Nay, the passive voice should be celebrated. The tyranny of the subject is perpetuated by the active voice, but it can be stopped by the passive voice. Objects can be accentuated, highlighted, shown off by the passive voice. Variety is created by the passive voice. The passive voice should…
