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The Most Valiant Heroes Fight on a Different Battlefield Sep. 05, 2025
"A Knyght ther was, and that a worthy man, That fro the tyme that he first bigan To riden out, he lo... Read More
'Biannual' vs. 'Biennial' Distinction Is for the Birds Sep. 03, 2025
Q: A headline stated that seasonal bird migration (which occurs twice a year) was a "biannual" event... Read More
Are We Programming Ourselves Out of Existence? Aug. 29, 2025
Imagine this: As you lie comfortably in a padded chair, your cerebral cortex remotely controls a rob... Read More
Use Your Head To Reap 'Capital' Gains Aug. 27, 2025
What do these words have in common?: "captain," "capital," "capitulate" and "precipice." If you know... Read More
How Pundits Came to Give Punditry a Bad Name Aug. 22, 2025
"Oh, the games people play now, Every night and every day now, Never meaning what they say now, Neve... Read More
Take Me Out to the Call Game Aug. 20, 2025
As the Major League Baseball season rolls into the critical month of September, let's examine the fa... Read More
Four Words Derived from Four-Legged Friends Aug. 13, 2025
Did you know there's a donkey behind "easel"? This word for a frame supporting an artist's canvas co... Read More
Navigate the Path Between Idealism and Pragmatism Aug. 08, 2025
In the aftermath of World War II, Major General Barry Goldwater played a pivotal role in creating th... Read More
Keep Your Eye on 'Graveyard Shift' and 'Gimlet' Jul. 30, 2025
We call an overnight flight from coast to coast "the red eye" because its passengers disembark with ... Read More
Success Thrives in the Light of Purpose and Passion Jul. 25, 2025
"I do wonder, Father, if you've ever lived a day in your life." The line comes from one of my all-ti... Read More
One Good 'Turn' Word Deserves Another Jul. 23, 2025
In ancient times, new words were formed at every turn. When the Greeks won a battle, for instance, t... Read More
Good Intentions Never Prevail Over Cold Reality Jul. 18, 2025
You know it's true: Giving in to a bully only encourages them to increase their demands. Most of us ... Read More
Beware of the 'False Twins'! Jul. 16, 2025
Because a prude is prudent when it comes to sexual matters, you might assume that "prude" and "prude... Read More
Where the 'H' Did That Come From? Jul. 09, 2025
It's "H" hour! Can you choose the correct derivation for each word beginning with "h"? 1. harbinger:... Read More
Celebrating a Day of Ethical Independence Jul. 04, 2025
Half a century ago, when I possessed the charming innocence of a 12-year-old, I took offense at the ... Read More
Where Does THAT Fit In? Jul. 02, 2025
Will Shortz, puzzle master of The New York Times, has devised a new type of word game. It's so much ... Read More
In Pursuit of Clarity, Avoid the Rush to Judgment Jun. 27, 2025
This is the story of a bird's nest. But it's not the column I planned to write. Instead of ranting a... Read More
Misuse of 'Unique' Seems 'More Inevitable' Jun. 25, 2025
Q: I've sometimes heard a future event described as being "more and more inevitable." Are there actu... Read More
When Seeking Peace, Don't Release the Dogs of War Jun. 20, 2025
You know it's true: Giving in to a bully only encourages them to increase their demands. Most of us ... Read More
Can We Agree With One Another on 'Each Other'? Jun. 18, 2025
Q: Is it correct to use the phrase "each other" only when it refers to two individuals and "one anot... Read More
