english

  • Seven Words And Phrases With Racist Origins

    Seven Words And Phrases With Racist Origins

    The English language is constantly evolving, with new words and phrases spreading among us like an infection ” we hear things, then we say those things. The problem is that we don’t always bother to wonder if we should. Because of that, the original meaning of some demeaning and hateful expressions get lost in time.…


  • Stop Putting Apostrophes In The Wrong Place

    Stop Putting Apostrophes In The Wrong Place

    Photo: Alan Levine For some of us, grade-school grammar lessons haven’t stuck. I managed fairly well with my trusty Elements of Style until pretty recently, but the ongoing assault on grammar that is the Internet occasionally shakes my confidence. (Every time I want to type rein, rain, or reign, for example, I need to close…


  • What If English Words Were Phonetically Consistent?

    English is a funny old language. There’s a distinct lack of consistency between sounds, particularly when you look at words as they’re written down. This can trip up anyone so what would happen if we approached English as a phonetically consistent language?