Rafaella in Wausau, Wisconsin wonders about unwritten rules of etiquette regarding when it is okay as something of an outsider to talk about certain subjects within a family. The rules depend in part on in-group and out-group dynamics within the...
Steven Pinker’s new book, The Sense of Style, which Martha cites among her all-time favorite books about writing, has just the right message: don’t worry so much about the errors, because you’ll make them, and if writing...
Tim in Indianapolis, a rugby referee, asks whether American football’s touchdown comes from rugby. Rugby does appear to be the source. The Oxford English Dictionary has an 1864 rugby example that predates American football, depending on how one...