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Metaphors Provide Two Loaves -- and Maybe a Load of Fish Jan. 15, 2025
A metaphor is a flash of lightning — sudden, vivid and electric. In a single instant, it illum... Read More
Why U.S. History Is Peppered With Silly Terms Jan. 08, 2025
As we prepare to celebrate our nation's 250th birthday next year, this secret can now be revealed: D... Read More
Flag These Errors for Roughing the Passage Jan. 01, 2025
It's NFL playoff time or, as I call it, "Cabin Fever Consolation." You be the referee. The following... Read More
'Pled' on Trial: Guilty or Not Guilty? Dec. 25, 2024
"She pled guilty." That sentence in a newspaper article stirred Sara Solomon of Roscoe, Pennsylvania... Read More
Take a Gander at These Goose Eggs Dec. 18, 2024
Readers have sent me a fresh batch of bloopers from newspapers and magazines. Can you spot the blots... Read More
The Whole Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth Dec. 11, 2024
"I have been to the endodontist and the periodontist (and had dinner with my cousin, an orthodontist... Read More
Coming to 'Terms' With 2024 Dec. 04, 2024
'Twas twenty two four, and all through the nation, The buzzwords were flying, to much consternation.... Read More
Twain Caught Twang, Twinkle of American Speech Nov. 27, 2024
We celebrate Noah Webster as a founding father of American English because his 1828 dictionary was t... Read More
Keeping Family Ties Alive Shouldn't Be a Solo Effort Nov. 20, 2024
Dear Annie: As a wife, mother of three and a full-time program manager overseeing a crisis unit, I j... Read More
Joy to the Word! Nov. 20, 2024
There's no place like tome for the holidays! These new books will delight the word lovers on your sh... Read More
Should a Happy Clam Go on the Wagon? Nov. 13, 2024
Why is a clam happy? Why is someone who stops drinking alcohol said to be "on the wagon"? Why do peo... Read More
'Weeding' Out the Origins of 'Pot' Nov. 06, 2024
With the help of Tom Dalzell's deliciously wicked book "The Slang of Sin" (Merriam Webster, $20), le... Read More
Raiders of the Lost 'R' Oct. 30, 2024
The mail carrier was juggling a passel of parcels. In a way, that sentence is redundant. For "passel... Read More
Fed Up With Mom's Mess Oct. 26, 2024
Dear Annie: My elderly mom wants to move from her house in the country to a smaller home in town. Th... Read More
Supporting a Struggling Friend Oct. 25, 2024
Dear Annie: I have a friend I'll call "Scott." We have known each other for 15 years or so and have ... Read More
Is It Meant to Be? Navigating Red Flags With an Old Flame Oct. 24, 2024
Dear Annie: When I was 17 years old, I met a lovely guy here in Canada. We met through a mutual acqu... Read More
Unfulfilled by Long-Distance Relationship Oct. 23, 2024
Dear Annie: I've been in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend for almost a year and a hal... Read More
Where're You At on Ending With 'At'? Oct. 23, 2024
You've probably heard the joke about a Southerner visiting Harvard for the first time. When he asks ... Read More
Marital Loneliness and Difficult Discoveries Oct. 22, 2024
Dear Annie: For the past four years, my wife and I have barely spoken. We don't share anything or do... Read More
When Cutting Ties Feel Necessary Oct. 21, 2024
Dear Annie: I am a sister who cut ties with a sibling, and I'd like to offer my perspective on why. ... Read More
