Linguist, lexicographer, radio host, public speaker

Month: March 2009


  • A few recessionary, depressionary, econolyptic terms

    Joining in the fun, here’s my list of financial terms related to the economic crisis to go along with those made by Ben Zimmer and Mark Peters. You can also find a lot more in my word-of-the-year nominations for 2007 and 2008. … What We’re Talking About Is Money bad bank: A government-run bank that…

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  • The lore and rhymes of children

    This is my latest column in the Malaysia Star. Thanks to cousin Kirk Gadberry, whose query about “chinny chin chin” gave me the idea of talking about the lore of children. We’ll be talking more about counting rhymes and such on an upcoming episode of the radio show, now carried in many more markets across…

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  • A Sense of Snow

    My latest column has been published in the Malaysia Star. … Folks from those parts of the world—or even the parts of the United States—that have only known warm climates have a hard time getting a handle on snow, even after a few winters where snow is common. So it occurs to me—as I stare…

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