Tag Archives: dictionary

Sacré bleu

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The 1937 phrasebook Collins’ Pocket Interpreters: France paints an alarming picture of a typical visit to France: I cannot open my case. I have lost my keys. I did not know that I had to pay. I cannot find my porter. Excuse … Continue reading →

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What’s Your WOTY

Posted on December 29, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Along with seemingly endless “best of lists of the year” we are also now being offered lots of options for the WOTY (word of the year). The English language seems to provide ample fodder these days with a wealth of … Continue reading →

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Devil’s Dictionary

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday’s post on the dictionary word of the year reminded me of a recent book listing for the enduringly popular satirical book The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. Bierce was one of America’s most popular humorists, journalists, and short story writers … Continue reading →

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What’s The Word

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“Authentic” was chosen as the 2023 word of the year by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, coming in as the most-looked-up words in the dictionary’s 500,000 entries, the company said in a press release. “Although clearly a desirable quality, authentic is hard to define … Continue reading →

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What’s the Word

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Merriam-Webster  dictionary reports that its word of the year is the manipulative, misdirecting term that causes the target to question the surety of their own sanity, is taken from the title of the George Cukor 1944 classic film Gaslight. Although in … Continue reading →

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