Word Nerd: “Bespoke” crosses the pond. Crikey!
Some years ago while on a trip to England, I encountered some words and expressions that made me realize the importance of being bilingual in…
Howard Richler
Word Nerd: Skunk’s aroma wafts through English words
If a reader peruses this article, should I be a) disinterested, or b) nonplussed? It depends on the meaning ascribed to the three italicized words….
Word Nerd: Don’t read this if you have hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Four score years ago, minus one, Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared: “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” Well, it appears Roosevelt was wrong. The…
Prepositions? What are you talking about?
BY: HOWARD RICHLER Freshman: “Sir, can you tell me where the dining hall is at?” Professor: “Don’t you know that you shouldn’t end a sentence…
Word Nerd: Tying the knot, a cross-cultural analysis of bondage in marriage
BY HOWARD RICHLER Ever since cavemen stopped dragging away unwilling partners by the hair, marriage has been a knotty situation. The climax of a Hindu…