In America, we celebrate just about everything, so it may come as no surprise to you that, in two days, March 4 (March Forth!), my pun pals will observe National Pun Day. After all, a good pun is like a good steak — a rare medium well done. A few weeks ago, I participated […]
Presidents’ Day (please note my placement of the apostrophe) began life as a celebration of George Washington’s Birthday, February 22, 1732, But Washington was really born on February 11, 1731, according to the Julian calendar, which was in effect when Washington entered the earthly stage. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752 throughout […]
The word history descends from the Latin historia, meaning “narrative, take, story,” and the saga of our American presidents is festooned with fascinating stories. Here are a few of my favorites: Our second and third presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, political rivals, then friends, both died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years […]
What do you get when you dip your little finger into a bottle of writing fluid? An inky pinky. Looking for an entertaining way to sharpen both your ear for rhyme and your skill in defining words? Try the Inky Pinky game. In Inky Pinky, the first player offers a concise, clear definition, and […]
DEAR RICHARD: Now retired from 50 years of college teaching and having no more student papers to grade and critique, I address your recent U-T column. I so enjoy, appreciate, and support your language advocacy, and then, in the third sentence, you split an infinitive on me (“to carefully proofread my books”)! This notwithstanding, you continue to have […]
Child film star Shirley Temple wrote, “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph.” It’s fun to look at the holiday through the innocent eyes of children: A mother was pleased with the Christmas card her […]
Here’s little poem I’ve conjured up about Halloween monsters: Don’t ever play ping pong with King Kong. Don’t ever take blood tests with Dracula. Don’t you dare give a wedgie to Frankenstein. Your ending will be quite spectaculah! Don’t you dare snap a towel at Godzilla. Such a prank would be foolishly rude. Don’t you […]
I am a member of the Grammar Police force, and our motto is “To Serve and Correct!” How strong is your grasp of English grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation? To help you find out, here’s a passage marred by three dozen goofs and gaffes, blunders and boo-boos, and fluffs and flubs that frequently infest […]
DEAR RICHARD: Contemplating the spread of laboratory-grown, humane meat, I began to imagine a menu for such delectables: Faux-let Mignon, Fakin’, Top Sir-lyin’, Paté Faux Gras, Not Roast, Cloned Beef & Cabbage, Spore Ribs, Prankfurters, Not Dogs, Honey-Baked Sham, Saw-such, Nutton, Chicken Winks, Presto Duck, Cheatloaf, Not Worst, Shadow Briand, and Fauxlish Sawsuch. -Linda […]
Having opened on July 21, “Barbie” has become the highest grossing film of this year and the first billion-dollar film directed by a woman (Greta Gerwig). The “Pink Fever” that the neon-coated fantasy comedy movie has created could ultimately gross two billion dollars. Barbie is the most popular doll in the history of toydom. […]