Union-Tribune Readers Go Out on a Limerick
December 25, 2021
Two weeks ago, I challenged my U-T readers to wing me limericks with a Christmas theme. To avoid being blown away by a tsunami
Read “Lederer on Language” every other Saturday in the San Diego Union Tribune and on this site
Two weeks ago, I challenged my U-T readers to wing me limericks with a Christmas theme. To avoid being blown away by a tsunami
DEAR RICHARD: Plucked from a recent headline in the Union-Tribune: “Rare corpse flower is set to bloom again / Despite smelling like rotting flesh,
Four centuries ago, the roots of Thanksgiving first took hold in our American soil. We living today commemorate the solemn dinner, back in the
The Irish tell a story about a notorious drunkard and trickster named Jack. He couldn’t enter heaven because he was a miser, and he
Today is National Dictionary Day, traditionally celebrated on the birthday of Noah Webster (1758-1843), who, in 1806, gifted our young nation with his Compendious
When I was a callow youth, my neighborhood buddies and I used to sing a learned lyric that played around with levels of diction:
DEAR RICHARD: I grew up on a steady diet of proverbs. They aren’t heard as often nowadays, but they bring back memories of simpler times.
Most occupational titles are self-explanatory: A teacher teaches, a preacher preaches, a gardener gardens and a writer writes. But the origins of some job names
On Monday of last week, I toted some books to my local Post Office. As I waited in line, I noticed a computer-printed sign