The phrase he doesn’t know from (something), meaning “he doesn’t know about (something),” is a word-for-word borrowing, or calque, of a Yiddish phrase “Er veys nit fun.” This is part of a complete episode...
The words we choose can change attitudes — and change lives. A swing-dance instructor has switched to gender-neutral language when teaching couples. He says that using words like “leader” and “follower” actually works better...
A 1957 story by James Thurber includes a sentence with oddly stranded prepositions. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Stranded Prepositions” Earlier, we were talking about prepositional pileups, like it’s really...
A pint-sized mad scientist, a green-haired girl with a contagious sense of wonder, and a 10-year-old detective. They’re all characters in the books on Grant’s latest list of recommended books for children. Also, what’s the word for...
It’s largely because of the way we feel while riding in a car or on a train that we use the prepositions in a car and on a train. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “In a Car vs. On a Train” Hello, you have A Way...
Jeff from Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, wants to know if he’s wrong to say, I’m going over Martha’s house, meaning “I’m going over to Martha’s house.” He’s always left out the word to from that...