Lawrence from San Diego asks whether an assignment should ask what students have learned or what they have learnt. The older -t past-tense and past-participle forms—learnt, spelt, and the like—largely gave way to -ed forms in American English during...
Has the age of email led to an outbreak of exclamation marks? Do women use them more than men? Also, is there a word for the odd feeling when you listen to a radio personality for years, then discover that they look nothing like your mental picture...
If you’re in New Zealand and are told to “rattle your dags,” you’d better get a move on. Literally, though, the expression has to do with sheep butts. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Rattle Your...
fang-banging n.— «“You know how many people are having sex with vampires these days?” The answer to this question, right at this present time, appears to be: quite a few. “Fang-banging,” as it is known in some parts of...
Grant dishes up the latest language headlines from around the world, including names so weird they sparked legal action. Two New Zealand parents really did name their daughter “Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii.” Also, what’s wrong...
pink-sticker v. phr.— «Twenty cars were ordered off the road in Christchurch last night in a citywide crackdown on boyracers. Mr Pullen says of the 20, 15 were what police term pink-stickered, which means they could seriously injure those...
