Geoffrey Pullum News Today

Opinion: "As I say, what I know, the reality is," I'm avoiding this question.

A recently-coined word to describe a certain kind of linguistic mistake or confusion, of which the classic example, for which its named, is calling an ...

English spelling can be endlessly frustrating. From its silent letters (could, stalk, salmon, February, and on and on) to its nonsensical rules (i before e except ….), to the pronunciation of ough (in cough, through, though, and thought).

From memorable misprints to fake words to eggcorns to phrases you might be mispronouncing, here are 13 English language mistakes you should know.

Language is constantly evolving, and this can make it hard to define what is correct and incorrect. Sometimes misunderstood words and phrases become so

They are often written out in almost mathematical form: “To X, or not to X.” “Make X Y again.” “Keep X and Y on.”

Our language is a feast for the linguist’s ear.

sanatoriums sanction To sanction (verb) something is to approve it; to impose sanctions (noun) is to stop something you disapprove of. So politicians might sanction (permit) the use of sanctions (forbidding) trade with a country they don’t, for the moment, happen to like very much. OED definitions of the noun “sanction” involve penalties or coercion, typically to enforce a law or treaty. So you find “sanction-breaker” (quoted from the Guardian in connection with sanctions against Rhod...